Domination
by Nimrod The Writer
Summary: Post PP. Vlad doesn't lose, especially to a giant rock. With the disasteriod gone and the world in his clutches, he's free to do what ever he wants. Unfortunately for the Fentons, what ever he wants usually doesn't work out in their favor. Pompous Pep!
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so who else was thoroughly pissed about Phantom Planet? *raises hand*

**Warning**: Nimrod is about to rant.

In my opinion, Phantom Planet is completely ridiculous. Danny Phantom, while regrettably a children's show, is not cliche and the whole finale was nothing but one giant cliche. Seriously? An asteroid? And Vlad. Oh Lordie, Vlad. He is not an idiot, and Vlad was a complete moron in Phantom Planet. Why is world domination even one of his goals? It was all about getting into Dan-er, Maddie's pants for the first two seasons! Then BOOM. New writer, new Vlad. _Makes me simmer. _He turned flat, cliche, and boring all in the span of one hour and Nimrod cried. And Danny. Has anyone else noticed how ridiculously emotional he's gotten as the episodes have progressed? There's no development! No growth! He's even more impulsive than he was in the first episodes. Come on! Getting rid of his ghost powers? Is he _mad_? He's had them for ages, he shouldn't _still _suck at them! It's like he's slowly turning into a whiny, emotional, little girl. ...and while I like Danny as a girl, I don't like him as a whiny emotional one! (And we're not even going to talk about friggin Sam. *explodes* Stupid canon...)

So maybe the fact that I'm actually complaining about this is a little sad, but that's okay, I can live with that. What I can't live with is a stupid Vlad and a stupider Danny. So I made this. :D

The only way Vlad would ever reveal his identity and place his entire life on that kind of gamble is if he were absolutely sure he would win. Then, he'd have even more back up plans to make sure he couldn't possible loose after he's won. And he wouldn't just want a bunch of cash, he's already got all that! So if he's going to reveal his secret to the world, demand a-bazillion more dollars, and gain ultimate control of the earth, he's gotta be missing a few screws.

And if he's gonna be insanse then by god he's gonna be throughly insane. Pompous Pep! Ha! Take that canon!

REBEL!!!

*is shot by Butch Hartman*

If you ignored my rant, here's a few things to know.

-Vlad won

-Danny still has his ghost powers

* * *

There's a significantly different feel in the air when you wake up and your arch enemy rules the world. The sun isn't nearly as bright and the utter silence of everything around you seems to press on your already chaotic brain. Then there's this vast blank of nothingness when you look to the future because it's so bleak you don't even want to think about it.

That's pretty much what happened to me when I woke up on that wet, Monday morning after the whole Disasteroid incident. My eyes snapped open with an unmistakable weight in my stomach, the nightmares plaguing my dreams all night becoming real as I gazed out my window into the cloudy sky. I honestly didn't know what to do. Should I get dressed like normal? Go to school and sit in class like nothings different? Should I still fight ghosts, or fly to school, or even go have a normal breakfast?

Eventually I did get dressed, though the complete silence of the house continued to send unnerving chills down my spine. I wore my usual clothes, jeans and a T-shirt. I got my school books together like normal, haphazardly ran a brush through my hair like normal, and even scrounged around for my elusive math homework like normal. Other than the pit of dread in my stomach and the pressing silence, everything was...normal.

Except Dad still wasn't home.

He had flown Vlad up into space so the older hybrid could turn the Disasteroid intangible. I remember guiltily hoping Vlad wouldn't be able to do it, praying that the Disasteroid would remain solid as I watched one of the many TV's televising the whole event. Of course, Vlad was easily able to turn the hunk of rock intangible. I couldn't help but feel impressed and even a little envious of his skill. If only I was as strong as him, then I could have saved the Earth and we wouldn't be screwed over in his whole worldwide domination scheme. We'd all be free, and Dad would be home.

I left my school books on my desk and gave up trying to find my homework. Today was not a normal day, and I wasn't going to go to school like normal either. Quietly, I closed my bedroom door and made my way downstairs. The sullen air was heavy on my shoulders as I ambled into the kitchen to find Mom already awake. She was sitting at the kitchen table with a far away look in her eyes, a cup of cold coffee in front of her.

"Mom?" I whispered after five solid minutes of silence.

"Oh! Danny!" she jumped, coming out of her far away thoughts to give me a startled look, "I didn't realize you were standing there."

I didn't reply, staring at the dark bags under her eyes and taking in her already thin form. Without a word, I pushed a chair right next to hers and sat down, laying my head on her shoulder. Maybe it was really childish of me, but I needed her right now, and I got the feeling that she needed me too. It was starting to hit me that this was way bigger than anything I've ever had to deal with.

"Oh Danny..." she whispered, the sadness returning to her voice as she ran her fingers through my hair.

"When did the ship land?" I managed to ask, hating how weak my voice sounded. And I was supposed to be the strong one.

"...fourteen hours ago."

"Shouldn't he be home by now?" I whispered, knowing my pointless questions were doing nothing but causing pain, but needing to voice them anyways. I was so scared that Vlad had already...

"It's okay Sweetie," My mother began, pulling up an impressively strong voice as she kissed my forehead, "I'm sure you're father will be here soon."

I just wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly. It's been a long time since I needed to do that. She hugged me back, her smaller arms encircleing around me protectively. It was nice. Then light footsteps shuffled into the kitchen, and even though we both knew there was noway they could belong to Dad's, we broke apart and looked up expectantly.

"I'm guessing he's still not home?" Jazz asked from the doorway, a hand fiddling nervously with her necklace.

Our lack of answer was answer enough, and she sighed heavily before coming to sit on Mom's other side, staring at the plain table. I don't know how long we sat there, the morning sun slowly rising as we waited in the dead silence. Erratic thoughts of every kind plagued my head. There were a million and one things to worry about with Vlad in charge. They only thoughts I wouldn't let my brain stray to were the ones where Dad's already been... It doesn't matter, I refused to believe it. I had _plenty_ of other things to worry about. Definitely a lot more than anyone else, and my worries were, in some cases, slightly more disastrous too.

Such as, should I tell Mom and Dad about _my _ghost half? They've just been forced to come to terms with the fact that their ex-best friend is half ghost, a fact which in and of itself is unbelievable and astounding. Not to mention he's also a twisted, manipulative, evil master mind bent on world domination and other various pursuits which spell out doom for the Fenton family. How would they deal with the added weight of their own _son _being half ghost too? Do they think it was the ghost half that drove Vlad to his villainous self and assume mine would do the same? Would they automatically hate me because to only other half ghost is a cruel, world dominating jerk?

Part of me knew I was being irrational. After all, they _are _my parents. I'm sure they wouldn't compare me to Vlad just cause I'm half ghost too. But with everything going on and with so many new uncertainties hanging over my head, I couldn't help but be a little worried. However, as scared as I was of their reactions, I knew there wasn't anyway for me to put it off much longer. With Vlad ruling the Earth and having a personal vendetta against me, it's only a matter of time until my secret gets blown. Honestly, I'd rather my parents hear it from me than Vlad's gloating, self-righteous face.

And speaking of Vlad, what's he going to do now? He has the world at his finger tips, and the worst part is, that statement is completely literal. Besides having enough money to bribe every defiant country into silence or allegiance, he has the power to completely obliterate all the countries and people who don't bow their heads and accept this new turn of history. He could nuke China if he wanted to, eradicate Canada, blow up the White House. _Everything _is under his control.

And that includes me and my family. He's got my Dad all set up for the noose, my Mom in holy matrimony, and me six feet under. But knowing that power hungry fruitloop he'll toy with us for a while before going through with anything. That's how I know my Dad isn't... He just can't be. If he was, then I would be too, and Mom would be locked away in Vlad's castle while Jazz would be god knows where. So maybe Vlad won't go through with his plans immediately, maybe he'll just gloat for a while about how he finally has complete control. I suppose it doesn't really matter in the long run though. Eventually, he _will _go through with his plans, and by then, no one will be left to stop him.

My eyes hardened, anger suddenly flaring up at my own hopeless thoughts. I couldn't let him get away with this. Sam would be furious if she knew I was just sitting here and doing nothing. I couldn't wait for him to bust through that front door and do whatever he wants to us. I still have the power to save my family and friends; I can still protect them!

But, first things first...

"Mom, there's something you should know about me." I whispered quietly, breaking the cold silence of the kitchen. Jazz slowly lifted her head up, giving me a wide, disbelieving stare.

"What is it sweetheart?"

"...You know how Vlad got his powers? With the whole proto-portal incident where he got blasted in the face with all that pure ectoplasm stuff?"

"Yes." she answered slowly.

I opened my mouth to continue, but my voice was stuck, butterflies churning my stomach. It turns out I wasn't very good at this. My throat started getting all dry, brain running in circles. I didn't know how to tell her, I didn't know what to say. I took a deep breathe, changing tactics and trying to ignore the fear clawing at my tongue.

"I knew Vlad was half ghost."

"You what!" she gasped, staring at me with wide eyes. "Since when?"

"Since the reunion incident. I, uh, discovered it after he locked me in his lab and tried to get me to renounce Dad."

She was speechless, staring at me with horror as the beginnings of fury were starting to make it's way into her eyes.

"The stupid fruit loop has spent the last two years trying to get me to become is 'son.'" I frowned in disgust, glaring at the floor.

"That's why you've always hated him so much... Oh, Danny, I can't believe I was so blind to that sick..." she was finally able to mutter, the fury quickly becoming more apparent when she clenched her fists tightly.

"Uh, that's not the only reason." I swallowed.

She waited for me to go on, though obviously nervous about what else I was going to reveal to her.

"There's, um, a specific reason he wants _me _as is son." I swallowed again, running a hand through my hair nervously.

"Danny, are you okay?" she asked, resting a hand on my back worriedly.

"Do you remember the ghost portal incident a few years back? The one where I got blasted with all that pure ectoplasm stuff?" I asked quietly, and her hand stilled. I looked up into her eyes guiltily, watching as a dawning disbelief slowly started to appear on her face.

And then the door burst open.

Instantly, everything was dropped. Mom hovered for barely a minute to glance back at me before rushing into the living room, Jazz and I hot on her heels. Our hearts were racing, my legs felt like jelly from both the anticipation and my conversion with Mom. However, just as quickly as we all sprung into action, we froze when we saw Dad leaning against the door frame, purple bruises covering half his face and blood dripping from open cuts in his dirtied jumpsuit suit.

"Oh Jack!" Mom cracked, her voice boarding on an agonized sob as she rushed at him.

Dad almost fell against her, limping the rest of the way in the door and locking it behind him before he wrapped her up in a tight hug. I was numb, for some reason shocked that Vlad would hurt my defenseless father like this. I barely felt Jazz grab my arm for support. But the numb was slowly starting to melt as yet more anger for Vlad was added to the boiling pot.

"W-where's Danny?!" My Dad suddenly said, his voice wild and he looked all around.

"Jack? He's right here." Mom croaked, wiping an eye as she gestured to me in confusion? "Why? What's wrong, Honey?" I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. ...again.

"Vlad...he...he's gone crazy! He said things, he said he'd becoming for-I thought it would be... but then he...he-" Dad gapped, holding his shaking head and blinking rapidly. I could only stare in slight shock; I've never seen him like this.

"Here, sit down sweetie. There you go, it's alright now, everyone's here and no one's getting taken away. It's okay now. Relax on this pillow Jack. Thank you Jazz, here have some water, hon..."

I slowly ambled into the room on stiff legs as Mom fluttered around Dad, petting his matted hair and whispering to him softly. What had Vlad said to make Dad so scared like this? He didn't tell him my secret, did he?

"Mads. We need to lock up the house." He gasped, draining the cup. "He's coming."

"Right now?!"

"I-I don't know when. He said soon, but that could be now or, or five minutes from now or...We gotta protect the kids, Maddie. Where's all the weapons?"

"In the vault-no, don't you move Jack Fenton. Danny'll get them. Jazz! I need the first aid!"

"No!" Dad said, his voice wild again. "No, don't let Danny out of my sight!"

I couldn't take it anymore. With purposeful strides I was at the couch in seconds, looking Dad right in the eye as he gazed up at me in relief.

"Dad. What did Vlad say to you?" I said in a gentle, but stern tone, authority in my voice that I usually saved for Phantom.

"He said...He said he was going to take you away," Dad whispered quietly, all childish humor gone from his face and despair clouding his eyes as they glassed over, "He said I was never going to see you again..."

Silence rang in the house, the finality in his quote sending chills up my own spine. Mom had her hands over her mouth, eyes shining just a little to bright. I looked up at Jazz, meeting her pale, stricken face and swallowing thickly as I looked back to my Dad.

"It's okay Dad. I can fight him. He's not going to get me, I promise."

"Danny?" Mom whispered, brows furrowed in sheer shock and confusion at my words. "You can...fight him?"

But before I could answer I felt my entire body go cold, that familiar sense filling me with dread as my breathe misted unnaturally in front of me.

"Oh no..." I breathed, the blue fog dissipating as I glanced out the windows at the dark, thunderous sky.

Something was coming, and I don't mean just Vlad. There was a lot more than just one.

"Jazz! Go grab a thermos!" I yelled, leaping over the couch and rushing to punch the hidden red button that would release the ghost shield.

Jazz's running foot steps were gone, returning just as fast with a first aid kit, two Jack-o-nine tails and a thermos. I slammed my hand on the button, ignoring her shouts of "What's happening?" as the house started rumbling.

I looked back to see Mom in a defensive stance, ignoring her lack off information in favor of protecting her family. Jazz was quickly moping up a few Dad's more extreme injuries, her speed and talent with the first air speaking clear of the practice she's had with me.

The green glow of the shield cast an unnatural glow in the house, but I felt a bit of the fear wane as its comforting protection wrapped around the house. Granted, it wouldn't do squat for Vlad, but there was more than just Vlad coming, and hopefully the shield would stop whatever else was on its way.

"Dad, did you see any other ghosts with Vlad? Any kind of minions or lackeys or something?" I asked, keeping a trained eye on the dark windows. I'd never know it was late morning with how ugly the clouds were.

He didn't answer, and I looked back to see him forcing himself up, a determined fire in his eyes.

"No one hurts Jack Fenton's family!" he grunted, gritting his teeth as he limped his way in front of us.

"Jack! No! Your already wound-" But Mom's protesting was halted when a thunderous explosion sounded from the top of the house and all the lights flickered threateningly.

Bit's of the Op-Center fell to the ground outside the window and I felt my gaping fear return when the ghost shield flickered and died. Cackling laughter, the kind so familiar in the ghost zone, echoed all around us and seemed to suck all the life out of the air. I saw Mom, Dad, and Jazz unconsciously shrink in on themselves a bit from the feeling of death, though their fighting stances remained strong. Being a little dead myself, I didn't feel the same biting cold chill as they did, but I still felt the fear. Everything was falling apart so fast that I was barely holding a grip on it. I looked around in all directions, hoping to pin point where the laughing was coming from, but it was everywhere. I couldn't-

The door busted open for a second time that day, actually breaking off the hinges and hanging lopsided against the wall. All the laughing and roaring came to a climactic high as none other than 'King' Plasmius walked in, looking quiet proud of himself as he surveyed our huddling forms. I felt my blood boil just looking at him, my ghost half itching to punch that smug grin right off his face.

"If it isn't the Fenton's." He began slowly, as though he hadn't spent the past twenty odd years of his life stalking and watching us. I noticed the ghostly cackling died down and the air seemed to go flat, waiting for something.

"What are you doing here?" Mom snapped venomously, glaring daggers at him. I was impressed with her bravery, cause Plasmius was looking pretty intimidating tonight. Not that it changed the fact that I had every intention of beating him into the ground, but to a small woman like my mom (even though she's probably ten times more deadly than I'll ever be) he looked pretty frightening.

I felt one of Dad's arms silently move in front of me, protectively, his cold eyes never leaving Vlad's nonchalant form. Vlad didn't miss the subtle action and rose an eye brow in amusement, meeting my eyes for a moment and smirking in a way that was definitely not good for my health.

"Jack seems to know why I'm here. Let's not bother with the obligatory fight and just do this the easy way, shall we?" I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or my parents.

"Get out. You're not going to lay a hand on my family." Dad said dangerously, the threat clear in his voice.

"Am I?"

Through the busted door, a dozen or more ghosts filed in, each formless goon looking as brainless as the next. The foul creatures were armed with primitive, but sharp weapons, brandishing them threateningly whenever one of us would move. Eyeing them suspiciously, I watched as they formed a wall around the living room, blocking us in from all sides. Well crap.

"You didn't think I'd plan to take over the world with nothing to back me up, did you?" he laughed, noticing our stunned faces. "I almost feel insulted."

"Where did these ghost's come from Plasmius?" I muttered, not recognizing a single one. The Ghost Zone was big, but I could even feel it, these ghost were...different.

"Yes Daniel, you are correct. They didn't exactly come from the ghost zone. I created them myself, using the foundation of lost, wandering souls and building up countless ghoulish bodies to render them under my complete control. Unlike idiotic minions or stubborn apprentices," he glared at me pointedly, "They don't have minds of their own and thus make the perfect army."

Mom glanced between Vlad and me suspiciously, not missing the exchanged glare. I didn't take my eyes off Vlad, frowning more deeply at his loose tongue.

"No banter? You must be truly frightened, my boy."

"Leave my son alone you monster!" Dad yelled, standing in front of me and halting our challenged glares.

Vlad snapped his eyes up at Did in irritation.

"I thought I told you to stay out of my way, Jack. You should be thankful I let you return home at all. Now step aside."

He didn't move and Mom stood in front of Dad, Jazz right beside her with guns charged and eyes blazing. I watched as my family stood in front of me selflessly, a silent message that spoke louder than words. I can't describe how wonderful it was, knowing I had so many people who would protect me instead of the other way around for once. But I also had a duty, and I knew there was no way they would stand a chance against Vlad. Hell, _I _barely stood a chance against Vlad. I couldn't let them lay their lives on the line when I knew how dangerous it really was, especially when I had the power to protect myself to begin with.

"Stubbornness is a quality not lost on any of you, is it?' Vlad said dryly, sighing dramatically, "Alright then, the hard way it is."

Acting on some unseen que, all the ghosts around us suddenly converged. I looked around in surprise, having almost forgotten about their silent figures. Immediately, they started grabbing at my family, pulling them apart and dragging them away from each other. We all jumped into action, firing shots and throwing punches so fast we didn't know who was doing what. But more and more ghosts kept coming, like some never ending magic trick. We'd blast one out of existence and three more would be there to take its spot.

"Get away from me you filthy ghosts!" My mom yelled, kicking one in the face when her gun was knocked away.

"Maddie!" Dad yelled, fighting his way to her despite his injuries. However, the ghosts multiplied again, dragging him away, holding me down, and pressing my Mom and Sister against the wall.

"Dammit." I grunted, risking a small ectoblast to one of the goons and kicking the rest away. But by the time I was up, I was the only one left. Mom, Dad, and Jazz were all lined up, trapped against their own personal goon and struggling against their tight embrace. I was just about to kick a few in the teeth when someone started giving me slow measured claps, making me cringe.

"Bravo, Daniel." Vlad said mockingly, "You're really excellent at this hero business, aren't you?"

I grit my teeth, slowly turning around to face the inevitable confrontation.

"What do you want, Vlad?" I asked flippantly, hoping he couldn't sense how scared I really was.

He didn't like my tone. Frowning, he nodded to the ghouls, and I watched in horror as they all started suffocating my family, their air tight goo-hands covering their noses and mouths.

"Okay, okay! Stop! Please!" I yelled, taking a few steps toward him and glancing fearfully at them.

The goons removed their hands once Vlad nodded again, allowing my family to breathe in vital oxygen. It was clear that funny, joke around Vlad wasn't here today.

"It doesn't matter if you do or do not know what I want, Daniel. You're going to do what I say no matter what my desire is. That is something you should quickly get through your head."

"I'm not going to be your slave." I growled, hands fisting.

"Oh no my dear boy," he laughed, "You're far too valuable to be a mere slave. I have much bigger plans for you."

I really didn't like the way the grinned at me. It sent goosebumps racing up my arms and prickled at the hairs on the back of my neck. He held his palms us and let red ecto fire burn threateningly. I took a few tentative steps back as he slowly started walking forward.

"Unlike your idiot father, you're not a defenseless imbecile, so I expect a much better fight from you." he smirked, the restrained blasts glowing brighter with every step.

"Stop saying crap about my Dad." I said through gritted teeth, standing my ground and balling my hands into fists again.

"Danny! Run!"

"Danny!"

My families anguished cries from behind me were clear, the fear in their tone unmistakable. I glanced back at them fearfully, watching as they thrashed against the expressionless goons.

"Plasmius, you leave my son alone!"

"Don't you dare hurt him, Vlad!"

"Well, Daniel?" my head snapped back to my adversary, and I gasped. He was right in front of me. "Care for a bit of a fight?"

With a yelp, I back flipped away from his fist, landing in a smooth squat as he broke the coffee table in half. Okay. No more messing around, Fenton.

Vlad came at me with a laugh, fists charged with ecto blasts as he threw punch after punch at me. In the two years I've had to fight him, I've spent much of that time dodging. Thus, I've become quite good at it. I could hear my parents gasps as I expertly avoided his lightening attacks, flipping and ducking my way out of harm. Unfortunately that was all I could do, at least in my human state, and I was quickly tiring out.

"What are you waiting for Daniel?" he asked, managing to land a hit on me that send me rolling across the floor.

"Danny!" my Mom screamed.

I frowned, focusing on the fight as I rolled away from another punch and jumped back up, hoping to take advantage of his exposed back and kick him into the wall. Unfortunately, not only did I tire out more quickly in my human form, but I also wasn't as fast. Vlad caught my kick, jumping into the air and dangling me by my ankle above the floor.

"You're boring me, son." he yawned.

"Don't call me son!" I yelled, kicking my other foot against his elbow and hoping to snap it in half. Vlad read my intentions before I could carry them out though, and threw me to the ground.

"Ow..." I winced, rubbing my head as stars danced in my eyes. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain on my head and realized Vlad was in front of me again, holding me up by the hair on my head.

"I'm running out of patience Daniel. Change into your ghost half." He snapped. I couldn't stop myself from glancing at my family, their stricken faces locked on me and Vlad.

Vlad glanced back at them, a cruel grin curling on his lips.

"Well if they're holding you back, little badger." he shrugged, dropping me to the ground and alighting his hands with a powerful ecto blast.

"Vlad! Stop!" I yelled, rushing forward to stand in front of my restrained family. "Don't hurt them."

"Then give me a real fight." he frowned. I hesitated, but I waited too long because Vlad blasted me out of the way and sent me sliding across the floor again. I gasped in pain as I forced myself to stand, my chest burning.

"Dammit Vlad! Leave him alone!" Dad yelled, struggling for all he was worth.

"Change, Daniel." Vlad said in a bored voice, totally ignoring Dad and holding up two glowing hands to my family.

"Don't!" I yelled, but there was no way he would listen.

I acted before he even fired the shot. Heart racing, I made an impossible leap and fell into a smooth crouch in front of my family. The hot ectoblast shot forward and I had just enough time to see Vlad smirk triumphantly before several things happened at once.

"Danny! No!" My mom shouted.

But I already had the green shield up, easily blocking the single blast. I watched grimly as it dissipated into a shower of sparks, sizzling to the ground. The shock from my parents was palpable, and I didn't even have to look behind me to know their jaws were on the ground.

"Danny...?" Mom breathed, her voice so quiet it was almost imperceptible.

Maybe that was just the final straw, you know, after having been toyed with in front of my family, getting punched into the floor, turning my life upside down and taking over the world. I felt my anger snapped in that instant, dropping the shield and falling into a clear fighting stance, ready to pound him into the ground. That was _my _secret to tell. _Not. His. _

"You seem a bit angry, little badger." he smirked. My eyes glowed furiously.

"Shut up Plasmius." I spat, so tired of repeating myself and wishing he could just take a hint. "I don't care what plain of existence you think you rule, I'm not interested in _anything _you have to offer!"

"Yes, well unfortunately for you, what you want doesn't matter. The fact is I _do _rule this world, and whether you like it or not, you _will _do as I say."

"You think so?" I laughed, no humor in my voice as green ecto fire engulfed my hands and I finally transformed into my alter ego. "Bite me, Plasmius."

I think someone gasped from behind me, but, ironically, the absolute last thing I could focus on was the reactions my parents had after finally learning that I'm Danny Phantom. Vlad let out a furious yell, clearly done holding back and planning on making me eat my words. I yelped, throwing up another shield as a barrage of ectoblasts exploded against it. I had to take the fight away from my family, so I threw the shield at him as a distraction and zoomed across the ceiling, leaving a path of sharp, icy stalagmites behind me. I dodged another blast and kicked the ceiling hard, causing the ice shards to break and come crashing down on top of him.

Vlad gasped and threw up a shield, momentarily put on the defensive which I gladly took advantage of. The second that shield came down I was on him like blitzkrieg in London. My ghost form was much faster, and I was happy to feel the satisfying ache in my knuckles as I landed a few good hits on him.

But that was all I got. Vlad got really pissed off that I managed to hit him first, and more than once. He let loose a way of energy that shot me back. I flipped in the air before I could crash into the wall, kicking off with my feet and coming right back at him. But Vlad was ready, and even as I tackled him to the floor, he had a clone that came out of no where and kicked me into the wall again.

I groaned painfully, seeing stars again but forcing them away as Vlad's fist came flying. For a while were were nothing more than a blur. Vlad kicked and punched and I blocked and evaded. Occasionally we'd switch, offensive to defense and vise versa, but I never got the offensive for long. Two years of ghost fighting had taught me to hold my own in a battle with Vlad, but not indefinitely.

I felt his grip on my arm and he buried his fist deep in my stomach, knocking all the air out of me. Before I could recover his fist was against my face again, and once more I was thrown into the wall, this time leaving a good sized dent in it. Shaking my head, I turned intangible to avoid his next attack and flew all around the living room, hoping to throw him off a bit.

The shattered coffee table was nothing more than a few cinders and half the couch was a block of ice. Scorch marks, dents, cracks, and strains of all type could be seen in the floor, walls, and ceiling. Fatigue was getting the best of me, and that was quickly becoming apparent as I made several more back imprints on the walls and ceiling again.

"Please Vlad, Stop!" Jazz screamed, but I barely heard her.

Somehow I ended up on the floor again, face pressed against the ruined floor. I felt someone pick me up by my arm and panicked, acting on instinct and lashing out. Vlad avoided the pathetic, half aimed attack, opting instead to punch me in the gut again and kick me to the floor. Yeah, I was so beat.

Everything ached and hurt. Blood was pouring from my nose and dripping slowly from somewhere on my head. I felt some one yank me to my feet again, but I was too weak to lash out. Vlad gripped my hair and yanked my head back, and I saw his leering face for a moment before he turned me to my family.

I couldn't hear what anyone was saying, but their lips were moving. My Mom was crying and Dad looked like he was trying to re-enact the Hulk against his captor. Jazz was screaming something at Vlad, but I still couldn't hear. Then I felt someones fingers brush some hair behind my ear, holding me against them possessively and start walking away from my family, taking me with them.

I still couldn't hear but I didn't need to to know what Vlad's mouth was saying before I passed out.

"You're mine, little badger."


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, so I'm actually really happy with how this turned out. Take that as you will. And I have a roughly (key word being roughly) formed plot in my head with how this story shall go. So if all goes according to plan, there will be many more chapters after this one. And no, it's not going to be just Danny and Vlad. Sorry. I know, I'm sad too.

Anywho, enjoy! *cackles* Martel: And you thought Awkward Arangements was bad...

* * *

"I don't care what kind of deal the Prime Minister of England wants to make. I have no interest in 'compromises.'"

"..."

"Do what you want with the nation, Walker, I could care less. As long as everyone remains under _my_ ultimate authority you can do as you please with the laws."

"..."

"Well then kill the man, for gods sake. Obviously, he's not going to change his mind. I can't afford to have democratic thinkers like him alive anyways."

My head was throbbing. I was dimly aware of someone talking into a phone, the quiet voices sounding like a train in my aching head. The room swam when I tried opening my eyes, pupils rolling back blearily and lids feeling as though they weighed a ton.

Something was covering my mouth, forcing me to breathe heavily through my nose. I tried to remember where I was, why my whole body ached so much, but things were coming back too slowly. Brief visions flitted through my brain. Mom crying, Dad shouting, Vlad laughing...

I swallowed a pained groan, feeling my heart start to sink when it hit me. I was in so much trouble. Was Vlad in the room? Who was that on the phone? It didn't take long to figure out my legs and arms were bound tightly, restricting all movement. I tried shaking my head, forcing my fuzzy brain into full consciousness so I could at least figure out where I was.

Blinking rapidly, the dark spots in my vision slowly disappeared and I was able to take in my surroundings. I was on a stiff couch, a tall wall of books shelved behind the piece of furniture. There was a small coffee table in front of me, spotlessly clean and gleaming in the meager light. I moved my head silently and frowned, realizing where I was.

Vlad's private study.

"Most of them should quiet down when you eliminate their leader." there was a pause and then a laugh, a dark, humorless sound that could only possibly come from my arch enemy. "No no, kill anyone who tries to start trouble. The less people to fight the easier it will be to take over. And be sure to have the prison here running by the end of the month. Mhmm, Ta!"

My heart started racing. Who was Vlad talking to? Walker? Who were they going to kill? I glanced at the glowing restraints, able to feel them repress my ghost powers and gritting my teeth in anger. The thick tape around my mouth meant no chewing at the bonds, so I tried squeezing my wrists free, hoping to make as little noise as possible.

But there was no sneaking past Vlad. Almost as soon as I tried escaping, he turned to me with a curling grin, the phone against his ear totally forgotten.

"I'm going to have to call you back." he said smoothly, never taking his eyes off me as he slowly hung up the phone.

I made sure to give him my deepest glare of loathing, watching warily as he approached the couch with languid steps. His silence unnerved me, and I struggled fruitlessly as he got closer and closer. In moments he stood right against the couch, calm posture and hands in his pockets as he looked down at me, an amused grin playing across his lips.

"You look quite pathetic, you know." he said after a long moment.

Thanks to the tape, all I could do was wish every painful death upon him as he stared at me, something I think he knew judging by the amused glint in his eye. My heart jumped in my throat when he reached down and grabbed the bindings across my chest, lifting me up and sitting down on the couch with a relaxed sigh. I was forced to lay back down in his lap, one of his arms across my chest to hold me down. I held back a gag as he played with my hair, leaning his head against his other hand and smiling down at me with lidded eyes.

Nervous butterflies started up again as he continued to stare at me, a blush coloring my face as one of his fingers stroked my face. What the hell...?

"Mmm hm hmaa?" I scowled, jerking my face away and giving him a dirty look.

Vlad's smirk split into a grin, grabbing my jaw and forcing me to look at him.

"What was that Daniel?" he asked, laughing.

I jerked my face away again, starting to get a little creeped out and struggling to get off his lap. But Vlad just pressed down on my chest harder, shifting my body so I was even closer to him and laughing it away.

"Hmm hm Hmmh!" I yelled, an uncomfortable shiver going down my spine when he started touching me again. What the heck was he doing?

"You know, I've worked so hard to get where I am that I almost don't know what to do with my prize now that I've got it." he chuckled, ignoring my blatant discomfort in favor of stroking my hair. Again. Okay, he was definitely creeping me out now.

However, I forced myself to listen to his words, if for nothing then to at least help preserve some sanity. I scrunched up my face, not appreciating being referred to as an 'it' and a 'prize.' Vlad didn't really care though, continuing to monologue as I tried to ignore the uncomfortable distance between us.

"Your father was quite upset when I left with you. Had to have him knocked unconscious before I left. I don't think he'll be causing much trouble for a while though. I'm sure the grief of your absence will put your family into a lengthy depression, not to mention the sudden revelation of your ghost half."

Vlad's words slowly turned into a poison, snaking into my ears and wrapping around my brain. I struggled less, listening to him even though a part of me didn't want to hear it.

"I'm sure you have many questions, don't you my boy? What do your parents think of you now? What am I going to do with them now that you're out of the picture? What's going to happen to yourself? Though you're probably not so worried about that question as much as you're worried about your friends and family. You've always been so irritatingly selfless."

"If I were you though, I'd start worrying about myself." I looked up at him, finally meeting his eyes, "You're not going to be leaving this castle for a long time, I'm afraid. Though perhaps if you behave, I'll let you write to your family once in a while, so they'll at least know you're still alive. Oh, don't look so anguished Daniel. What did you expect with me ruling the world? I've spent months preparing for this my boy. I've got events in the works that you wouldn't even imagine. In fact, I do think I'll show you."

I let out a muffled yelp as Vlad suddenly stood, grabbing my arm and dragging me over to his desk. He forced me down into the chair and reached over my shoulder to turn on his laptop. In seconds he had the Internet up, and my heart dropped at the news headlines I read.

HUNDREDS PERISH IN FIRE STARTED BY GHOST ARMY

GHOSTLY INVASION, THOUSANDS DEAD

CITIZENS FLEE AS DEATH TOLL RISES

LORD PLASMIUS SETS EXAMPLE, EUROPE IN FLAMES

I shook my head, scarcely believing it. People were running and screaming in pictures, buildings burned to the ground and toppled over onto decimated streets. I looked away, feeling nausea build in my churning stomach.

"I started this the moment I landed from space." he said triumphantly, "Best to kill any hope of rebellion immediately. Once the people completely loose faith in themselves, I'll have no trouble keeping my position of power indefinitely."

The headlines flashed through my head; I could hardly believe the carnage he was so proud of. There was no way he'd managed to...to burn half the world in less than twenty four hours. There was just no way...

"And here's Amity Park." he said cheerily, gripping my hair and forcing me to look at the screen when I tried to look away. "I have other castles being built, of course, but for the mean time I'm afraid we're going to be stuck here..."

I stopped listening to him. My stomach bottomed out as I gazed at the desolation that was once my town, horrified anguish pounding through me. Some news reporter was talking in the small video, but I couldn't stop focusing on the what the camera was filming. Buildings had crashed into roads and houses, fires were raging. Ghosts like the ones that had invaded my home were storming the streets, literally killing anyone in their path. Walls were being being erected around the town as a barricade, stacked high with barb wire and more ghostly guards, inadvertently trapping everyone inside Amity Park like rats.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" he asked, a smile in his voice.

It was a total war zone. My friends...my family...they were all out there. They could be _dead_! My classmates, my neighbors, everyone was being massacred and Vlad didn't even _care. _I had trouble getting enough air, my head was spinning. Amity was...was...

The laptop snapped shut, Vlad suddenly spinning me around to face him. I felt him pick me up bridal style, but I was too horrified to protest, all those images flashing through my head. All those people...

"Don't give yourself an anxiety attack, child. At least take comfort in the fact that _your_ family and friends are safe."

I jerked my head up to him, eyes demanding an explanation. He just gave me a light smile, still so carefree.

"I gave my minions explicit instructions not to hurt your friends and family, as I'm sure they'll be useful in the future." I didn't like his dark smile, swallow thickly though, guiltily, feeling my heart slowly decelerate. At least _my _friends and family were safe...for now.

"Of course, I can't say the same for anyone else you know, but as long as they're smart and they kept their noses down, they should be fine." he shrugged, walking through the closed door of his study and down the silent hallway. As sad as his reassurances were, they did manage to calm me down slightly. Most of the people I knew we're fairly smart and could probably take care of themselves, so at least there was some hope. Now all I had to do was get out of here so I could go help them.

"All in all, things are going quite smoothly." he continued. I looked around the dark halls suspiciously, wondering where he was taking me. Maybe his lab? "People are starting to realize I wasn't joking when I said I'm the new ruler of the world. Countries are dutifully bowing down and things are finally under my control."

He started up a flight of stairs, his strong grip on me never loosening. I shifted uncomfortably, really wishing he wouldn't hold me so close...

"And I have you." he said in a low voice, the pure satisfaction in his tone making alarm bells go off in my head.

I swallowed thickly again, getting nervous when he turned into yet another hallway and finally reached an elaborate door. Without hesitation he walked through it, taking me with him into a monstrous bedroom. What...what was he doing?

"I've watched you grow for almost two years now, little badger. Despite your inexperience, you've stood against me without a hint of hesitation. Yet you still don't understand the full power you possess, the doors I can open for you." he sighed, gently setting me on the huge bed. I glance around nervously, an impossible suspicion sinking in my stomach.

"Maybe that's why I've wanted you for so long." he said thoughtfully, as though he were discussing the weather. I felt my heart rate triple when he took off his suit jacket, unbuttoning the blouse. Oh, this was not happening.

"You're the only other hybrid, Daniel. The only one worthy of me, to be honest." My head started spinning when he took his shirt off, powerful muscles rippling below the skin. I shook my head and scooted away as he crawled onto the bed, unable to believe what his actions were saying. There was no way.

"Something wrong, little badger?" he grinned, grabbing my ankle and yanking me back.

"Mmm!" I yelped, struggling to scoot away as he held me below him.

Vlad slowly straddled my waist, sending my brain into an exploding mess. He calmly removed our shoes and ran his fingers through my hair, ignoring me as I continued to freak out beneath him. None of this made any sense! What was he doing!? What about mom!? What about me being _fifteen_!?

"You know, I haven't heard your voice for a while." he whispered into my ear, moving his lips over the skin and making me moan fearfully, squeezing my eyes shut and stretching my neck as far away from him as I could.

"But tonight," he continued, lightly caressing my face, "I plan on making you _scream_..."

I don't know how he did it, but one second my legs and arms were tied up and the next they weren't. Instantly, my struggling doubled, pushing against his bare shoulders and desperately trying to kick him away. But it barely phased him and he grinned, ripping the tape from my mouth.

"What the hell are you doing!" I yelled, eyes wide and voice wild.

Vlad laughed, he honestly _laughed_, as though my pure panic was funny.

"W-What about mom?" I croaked, still trying to throw him off. "I-I thought you wanted me as a son, not...not _this_!"

"Love is a funny thing, my boy," he grinned, pinning my shoulders down, "I thought I loved your mother too, but it turns out your alluring defiance and determination is just too much to resist. Who else will stand up to me like you?"

"So-so your saying you're suddenly infatuated with me because I _hate _you!?" I gapped.

He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment before shrugging helplessly, "I suppose that's one way to put it."

I just stared at him, feeling my eye twitch as I tried to grasp the situation at hand. I couldn't.

"That makes no sense!" I yelled, renewing my struggles.

"Maybe not, but that's just something you're going to have to live with. After all Daniel, you belong to me now."

I yelled fearfully when he descended on my neck and forced my arms above my head, moving his lips along the skin. I tried to reach for my ghost half, panicking when I couldn't grasp the elusive cold feeling. Vlad must have sensed something though, because he said to me,

"Don't bother trying to 'go ghost.' Not only were those bindings ghost proof, but I hit you with the Plasmius Maximus about twenty minutes before you woke up. Not to mention the ghost shield surrounding this entire mansion. Your completely trapped, little badger."

"No! Get off me!"

He moved his hands, slipping them under my shirt and roughly caressing the thin muscle of my chest. He laughed again when he felt my pounding heart, pushing the shirt up to lick and bite my exposed skin.

"S-stop!" I yelled, a blush flaming across my face as it finally hit me that this wasn't a joke.

Vlad didn't listen, suddenly grabbing the front of the shirt and ripping it apart, throwing the rags to the floor. I winced, covering my chest as best I could and feeling painfully vulnerable beneath him. He leered down at me for a moment before grabbing my neck and slamming his mouth over mine. I screamed into my first kiss, fists hammering against his shoulders as I desperately tried to push him off. But Vlad's arms wrapped around me, pinning my arms between our chests and foiling the attempt.

I cringed as I felt his lips move over mine, almost gagging when he forced his tongue into my mouth. His grip around my neck tightened when I tried to jerk my head away, eyes squeezed shut tight. Panicking, I cried out, but Vlad took advantage of my plea for help and further invaded my mouth, his moist tongue roaming over my own.

I jumped at the contact, new senses and feelings assaulting my brain in a rapid flurry. Still keeping my arms pinned, Vlad ran a hand down the side of my chest and groped my behind possessively, making me flinch. His hips were pressed against mine provocatively, and with a sickening lurch I felt something hard growing against my naval.

"God, Vlad, get _off_!" He finally let go of my lips, moving back to ravaging my neck and shoulders.

I gasped for air, still squirming to get away even though I knew deep down that I wouldn't escape. But by the mercy of some higher power, I managed to wriggle one of my arms free. Vlad moved back to grab my flailing wrist, but I managed to land a hasty upper cut on his jaw and knock him away.

Almost crying from relief, I immediately scrambled off the bed. But my foot barely touched the floor when Vlad wrapped a strong arm around my mid section and yanked me back.

"Ah!" I yelped, falling back onto the mattress. Vlad loomed over me, a furious glare in his eyes as he cracked his neck threateningly.

"You shouldn't have done that, little badger."

My body tensed, a gasp clogging my throat when he suddenly lashed out and flipped me on my stomach.

"Let go! Get off me!" I yelled, trying to jerk my arms away as he pulled them behind my back.

Vlad didn't say a word, straddling my back and holding my wrists together with one hand. I grunted with the effort to throw him off, feeling his weight shift when he reached for something in the nightstand drawer. The pillows pressing against my face were suffocating and I had to move my head to the side to breathe. But when I saw Vlad pull a long collared chain from the drawer, my eyes widened and the pillows were the last thing on my mind.

"Don't you put-no! Stop!" I trashed when I felt the cool leather wrap around my neck, the buckle cinching and locking into place.

Vlad let go of my arms, yanking on the chain instead and pulling my head back, spine arching painfully.

"This will help you remember your place, don't you think?" he grinned, jerking the chain tauntingly.

I growled in anger, glaring at him with such hatred that if my powers had been working he'd of been a hole in the wall by now. But as it was, Vlad simply raised an amused eyebrow, kneeling and pushing me on my back. I cringed, waiting for him to start kissing me again, but instead felt a yank on the collar. Vlad pulled me up towards him, bringing his grinning face inches from my own.

"You know, I think this is much more fun anyways."

"Go to hell!" I spat, clawing at the lock on the collar.

He laughed in response, probably having no trouble seeing my true emotions under the thin layer of bravado.

"Why Daniel, you're shaking," he grinned maliciously, gripping one of my trembling arms, "You're not scared, are you?"

"Shut up!"

He laughed again, the dark, malignant sound sending tremors of fear up my spine. He roughly shoved me to the bed, resuming to straddling my waist as he smashed our lips together once more. My muffled yelps were quickly silenced, his tongue once again battling for control against my own. I squeezed my eyes shut, barely able to stomach it and sure as hell not wanting to see it. I felt his goatee scratching against my chin though, his lips bruising my own. Even as I gasped for breath I couldn't get away from it, everything little noise pounding in my ears.

"I don't understand! Why are you doing this!" I managed to yell.

"Because my boy," Vlad whispered hotly, breath permeating my head, "World domination just wouldn't be the same without you in my bed."

I tried to punch him again, but he caught it, twisting my wrist until I cried out in pain.

"Your sick!"

"I can guarantee you won't be saying that soon."

"Like hell I won't! I'm not gonna make this easy for you Plasmius!"

"I was hoping you'd say that." he grinned, forcing our lips together once more.

Vlad pulled the chain when I tried squirming away, easily keeping me in place. I pushed against him as hard as I could, trying to ignore the fact that I was touching his bare chest. He gripped one of my wrists, dragging it across his skin and over all the powerful muscles. I stiffened, trying to yank my hand out of his iron grip. Vlad laughed into the kiss, moving his lips to my ear again and whispering,

"Like this, little badger."

I gasped when I felt his hands on my chest again, teasing the skin in ways that had me blushing furiously. Vlad trailed his lips down, leaving soft kisses that erupted goosebumps on my arms. I squeezed my eyes shut when he started touching my nipples, holding back a pathetic whimper. My breath sounded ridiculously loud in my ears. I grit my teeth, desperately trying to get a grip on myself. Vlad grinned against my skin, blowing lightly on one of the hard buds and making my muscles tense.

"You don't have to look so stricken," he purred, "It's not a sin to enjoy pleasure."

I didn't say anything, shaking my head and fisting the sheets. But suddenly Vlad took one of the sensitive buds into his mouth, and I couldn't stop a gasp, back arching slightly. He took control, swirling his tongue around the raised skin and sucking lightly. My breaths turned to panting gasps when I felt his teeth, and suddenly he was biting my neck erotically, rolling my nipples between his thumb and forefinger.

"V-Vlad...s-stop..." I gasped, tangling my fingers in his hair and accidentally pulling it out of its pony tail. I bit my lip to hold back a moan when his teeth dug into my skin again, my grip in his hair tightening.

He licked the small wound, hands massaging my chest and lightly kissing my lips. I couldn't focus on anything but steadying my chaotic breath, trying to get control of my own emotions through the haze in my mind. Vlad continued to move so gently across my lips, holding my face and caressing my ear. I was choking on the urge to cry and moan at the same time, feeling my brain running in confused circles.

"This pleasure is nothing compared to what I have planned." he said lowly, his voice almost seductive as it wormed its way into my ears.

"I don't...don't want-"

"Oh, but I think you do, Daniel." he grinned, trailing his tongue around the cartilage of my ear and procuring a small whimper. "You just don't realize it yet."

I couldn't reply, not trusting my voice. I tried pushing him away again, but even I could tell the attempt was weak. I felt hopeless, despair twisting through my heart like a black snake. Vlad moved his hands all over my body, more goosebumps rising in their wake. I trembled beneath him, trying to get my brain to focus as he moved his lips so skillfully.

"Daniel," He said quietly against my ear, a dark malicious tone in his voice. I turned away, covering my ears with my hands and closing my eyes. I could still hear him laugh, feel him lightly take one of my wrists and move it away from my ear... "Take your clothes off for me, Daniel." he whispered.

I cringed, feeling bugs crawl in my stomach and pressing my hands over my ears as hard as I could. He still laughed, gripping both wrists tightly now and pulling them down until my fingers ghosted over the hem of my pants.

"Either you take them off, or I'll take them off for you."

I didn't want to reply, didn't want to think about what he was asking. Vlad paused for a moment before kneeling over me with a sigh. He let go of my wrists and grabbed the button of my pants, instantly alighting panic in my brain.

"Fine then, I-"

"No!" I yelled, smacking his hands away and gripping my waist band tightly. My heart was beating against my chest again. I stared up at him with wide eyes, not wanting him anywhere near my pants. Vlad just looked down at me with a smile, waiting.

I couldn't meet his eyes, looking away as a blush stained my cheeks and I started shaking again. Vlad was silent, staring at me expectantly as I warred with myself. It wasn't a very difficult decision though. Either I take off my pants, or Vlad does it for me, and I sure as hell didn't want Vlad touching me any more than he already has.

"Well?" he drawled, making me wince.

It took a moment to force down the hate and disgust, but soon I was fumbling with the button of my jeans, trying to get my shaking hands to cooperate. Vlad was still staring at me, watching me, that smug smirk on his face. I gulped down the lump in my throat, clenching my eyes shut as I pushed the denim off my hips. Cool air bit the exposed skin as I kicked the jeans to the floor, my face a fiery red.

"There." I said in a small voice, feeling like dirt.

"See? That wasn't so hard." he said in a mocking tone, smirk splitting into a grin.

I clenched my fists, staring off to the side and feeling all my anger and shame and embarrassment well up into a single black ball.

"I hate you." I hissed, glaring at the pillows.

Vlad gave me a long measured look, a smile still on his face. He chuckled for a moment before lowering his face to mine, his hair spilling over and tickling my cheeks.

"No you don't. Not yet."

I glared at him apprehensively, looking away when he removed his own pants, leaving him clad in only a pair of satin black boxers. He ruffled my hair almost fondly, and I was tempted to bite him, but I figured that'd turn him on so I restrained myself. Vlad laid down beside me, pulling me close until my chest was flush against his. I didn't even bother trying to push him away, knowing it would be useless. But I closed my eyes and cringed when our legs tangled together, feeling his larger body pressed against my own with only the thin fabric of boxers between us.

Vlad stroked a hand down my back, tracing the skin all the way down and drawing circles in my thigh. I tried to hide how nervous I was, really not liking how close his hand was to my more private area. I don't know why I bothered being so scared. I knew what he was eventually going to do, so there was no use panicking over the inevitable. But I couldn't stand this waiting. He was just laying here, holding me against him as my nerves continued to build. Part of me just wished he'd get it over with.

"What are you waiting for?" I whispered, pressing my face into his chest shamefully. I felt disgusting, like I was asking for it, but I just couldn't stand this waiting.

I knew he was smiling above me, I could feel it. He started stroking my hair, taking his sweet time to answer. My nails dug into his skin as I waited, wanting to scream.

"I own you," he finally said, his tone dripping with satisfaction, "You will belong to me for the rest of your life, so I suppose this is a type of gloating. You see, I can afford to sit here and wait, because I know I have all the time in the world to make you mine anyways."

He kissed the crown of my hair, running his fingers through the raven colored locks before stilling. I tensed, waiting, and then he suddenly flipped me over, spooning my back against his chest and pressing his mouth to my ear,

"But since you asked so nicely," he grinned viciously, "I suppose we can continue."

"No, no, I don-!" My words cut off in a squeak, stuck in my throat as his hands started sliding lower and lower down my chest.

"V-Vlad, stop. I-I was just...I don't wa-"

"Believe me, Daniel, I know exactly what you want," he murmured, kissing and sucking on my earlobe. "And in a few minutes you'll know what you want too."

My breath was borderline hyperventilating, heart pounding against my ribcage. Vlad slid his warm hands lower and lower, ignoring how tense I was and easily slipping past the elastic of my boxers. Then his large hand closed around my member and my brain exploded from the rush of senses. I smacked a hand over my mouth, desperately trying to gain control of my chaotic breathing and muffling the scream aching to come out.

"Ah ah ah, Daniel, I want to hear you moan for me." he chided, taking my hand away from my mouth.

I gripped his forearm, head falling back against his shoulders and low pants forming as he slowly stroked my length. He held me tight against him, moving his hand up and down tortuously. I grit my teeth, closing my eyes shut and trying not to make a sound, a hot blush on my face at the intimate contact.

"Not quite like masturbation, is it Daniel?" Vlad asked, a smile on his face.

"S-shut...shut up, P-Plasmius..." I panted, ultimately loosing and unable to stop a moan when he started rubbing the head of my cock, his nail scraping against the tip gently.

Vlad hummed at the sound, increasing his pace and drawing more sounds from my throat.

"You have such a beautiful voice, little badger."

I was way to gone to answer, eyes rolling at the attention he was giving my hardening member. I know it was wrong to react like this to him, to melt so easily in his arms, but I just couldn't help it. The fire twisting in my abdomen begged me to moan for more, my throbbing cock just as greedy. I gave in and groaned when Vlad went faster, feeling his teeth bite into my neck and sending shivers down my spine.

"V-vlad..." I breathed, not even knowing what I was asking for.

He laughed against my skin, moving his lips up and kissing me again. I gasped at the onslaught of senses, turning to putty in his hands. Vlad ran his tongue along my lip, slipping into my mouth and moving against my own. I felt the pleasure below my navel tighten, the feeling of something building up as he moved his hand. I moaned into the kiss, moving my hips against his hand automatically, not thinking about it. Vlad groaned, deepening the kiss and moving his pace even faster.

Blindly, I reached my arm up and tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling at it as I started unraveling, brain spinning. Vlad hissed in pleasure, biting my neck again and drawing blood. I felt like I was right on the edge of something fantastic, something I _needed_. I barely even felt Vlad's straining erection pressing against my back.

And then Vlad stopped.

"V-Vlad!" I yelled angrily, not really sure why I was angry, "What the hell!?"

He burst into laughter, hand moving away from my throbbing erection and sliding up to my chest. I winced, feeling the need to fix my problem but completely torn over it. God, why did I even _want _him down there. I acted like...like... I blushed when I recalled all my gasps and moans, and how I barely fought against him. No, I didn't even fight him at all. I practically _begged _for it.

Vlad continued to laugh as shame and embarrassment burned within me, and I still felt that sick need from below my boxers. I grit my teeth furiously, at least reigning in control of my panting breath and forcing myself to breathe normally as the ecstasy died down.

"I thought you didn't want me to touch you, Daniel?" he jeered.

"Shut up!" I yelled, turning around in his arms and pushing him away.

"And yet you still act like a scored lover." He gripped my arm and jerked me back.

I gapped at him, blinking for a moment before scowling.

"Your insane." I said flatly, ripping my arm out of his grip and trying to scoot away again.

"No no, Daniel, I'm not done with you yet." He warned, grasping the discarded chain and forcing me against him.

I winced, not liking the dangerous look in his eye. Vlad's hand's settled at my waist again, and I felt the old nervousness start to flutter, my own selfish, sick desires forgotten.

"What...what are you doing?" I asked slowly, not liking the way his thumbs were hooked under the elastic of my boxers.

"What ever I want." He replied, moving his lips to my neck and kissing them softly, making my brain go hazy again.

"N-no...Stop Vlad, seriously, wha-"

He started dragging his hands down, taking my undergarment with him. Alarms went off in my head and I quickly grabbed my boxers.

"No! Get off!" I yelled, not about to part with my last scrap of protection.

"I have to wonder if you fully understand your position, Daniel," Vlad scowled, moving one hand to grip the chained collar and jerk my head towards him. I struggled pitifully, determined to keep my boxers from going any lower even though I had a bad feeling I was about to loose the fight.

Vlad suddenly buried his fist in my stomach, making me double over in the bed and wheeze for air. He kept my neck up painfully, making it that much more difficult to draw in oxygen as I coughed.

"You don't make demands, little badger, you follow them. And since you seem incapable of keeping your hands in one place, I'm demanding you to put your arms around my neck and keep them there."

I glared hatefully at him, coughing a few more times and finally drawing in sweet lungfuls of air. He rose an eye brow when I didn't move, keeping my trained glare set on him no matter what the consequences. I could take another hit, anyways. Vlad seemed to read this in my eyes, because he moved closer to my face and pinned me down with such a dangerous glare that I almost flinched.

"Perhaps you should consider the lives I hold in my hands before you try to defy me."

My heart went numb, the faces of my family flashing through my head. And that was the end of the fight. I was stuck, forced to follow my arch enemies commands. I could never do anything to hurt my family, especially if only thing stopping their deaths was my cooperation...

"There you go," he grinned cruelly as I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him close to hide my burning face, "Good boy. That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

He understood my simmering silence, taking a moment to stroke my hair again before slowly moving his hands back to my boxers. I winced when his fingers hooked around the elastic again, tensing when they dragged the last of my clothes off at a tortuously slow rate. Vlad chuckled when he finally pulled the material off, throwing it to the floor and resting his hands on my nude, shaking body.

"That's a good little badger..." he murmured, kissing my head.

I didn't reply, keeping my head firmly buried in his shoulder. The only thing I've ever been naked in front of is a bath tub. I was completely exposed before him, more vulnerable and weak than I've ever been. I didn't want him to see that in my face, so I kept my arms wrapped tight around his neck.

I couldn't stop the shaky breathe I took as his hands roamed over my skin, uninhibited by clothing. Then for a moment they were gone, but only so he could remove his own boxers. I cringed, tightening my grip as I listened to the rustle of cloth. He threw them to the floor and pressed me right up against him, erasing every last bit of space between us. I whimpered at the contact, listening to his groan. Everywhere our bodies touched seemed to be extra sensitive, overloading my brain. His body was so warm, I could feel the heartbeat in his chest, his muscles flexing below the skin, his...his erection p-pressing against...against mine. I whimpered again, burying deeper into his shoulder and trying to block it all out.

"Relax Daniel." he whispered in a surprisingly gentle voice, stroking my hair before sliding one of his hands down my back. Miraculously enough, I actually did calm down, but only a little bit. I could still feel his length pressing against he inside of my thigh.

For one ridiculous second, I thought this was it, that we'd just lay here till morning when I'd wake up from this horrible nightmare and find myself back home. Or at least in a cell rather than his bed. But then his hand started sliding down farther, too far. My heart rate climbed again, panic slowly seeping in. Vlad easily detected my increased breath, and he rested his other hand against my head in a mockery of love, gently 'shhh'ing me.

"Vlad, please." I whispered, voice cracking.

"Just relax Daniel."

To anyone else, they would have taken his tone to be gentle, even comforting. But I know better. If you listened hard enough, you'd be able to hear the sadistic enjoyment in his voice, the shameless pleasure. There was no gentle or comforting way about it, he was loving this.

"W-what are you-No, get off!"

My heart fluttered, Vlad's hand was grasping my behind suggestively. His fingers tangled in my hair when I started struggling, keeping me pinned against him. My chest started aching, heart pounding against my ribcage. Shame, embarrassment, and fear clawed through me when I felt a finger press against my entrance.

"D-dont!" I trembled, eyes wide.

He just laughed, and slid the finger in. I gasped at the feeling, a scream clogging my throat. My hips automatically moved up, inadvertently pressing against his own heavy arousal. He groaned, the grip in my hair tightening.

"Vlad, stop!" I cried, squirming against him as he pressed his dry finger into the one place I never thought would be breached.

He ignored me, biting my neck and pressing the digit in further. I yelped painfully, my head a mess at being violated so personally. He slid it out and pressed in again, slowly repeating the rhythm as I panicked. I didn't know what to do, feeling throughly mortified at having him doing this to me and powerless to stop it. I ending up throwing my arms around his neck again, my fists clenched so tight the knuckles were turning white. He-He'd stop eventually...right?

"AAH!" I cried out in pain when he forced in a second finger, gasping for breath at the unwanted contact and struggling to get accustomed to it.

Vlad hummed gently when I buried my face in his shoulder, squeezing his neck as though my life depended on it. He slowly pushed the invading fingers in and out, the steady rhythm still uncomfortable, but oddly calming. I choked back a sob enough to focus on something other than the burning pain and humiliation, desperate to get my mind off what he was doing to me.

But then he started scissoring my walls, the effect dragging out more than just pain this time. I grit my teeth and half-moaned half-cried, arching my back and digging my nails into his skin.

"That's it, just relax Daniel..." he whispered lustrously, pressing the scissoring digits in and out.

I bit my lip, focusing on the dull spikes of pleasure traveling up my spine rather than the dull spikes of pain. Vlad continued his steady pace for a while, occasionally increasing the tempo and sometimes going slower. My pained gasps melted into panting moans, my grip around his neck loosening. I had a feeling he was grinning smugly as I continued to melt, but as it was I was having trouble focusing again.

Vlad went faster; I breathed heavily against his neck. He dragged the fingers out and pressed in roughly, a hiss escaping my throat when he hit something that made the pleasure _far_ out-shoot the pain.

"Engh, do...do that again..." I panted, moving my hips and pressing into his hand.

Vlad chuckled, surprisingly enough actually hitting that spot and making me gasp, my own moan echoing in my ears.

"You like that, little badger?"

"N-n-yes..." I breathed, trembling against him.

He pushed in a third finger and I groaned, pain blossoming for a moment. Vlad took no heed and continued to press in and out, stretching my virgin entrance and listening to my breathy moans. I gasped, back arching when he roughly hit that spot again, stomach doing flip flops.

"Do you want more?" he whispered.

I nodded quickly, brain feeling thick from the dull pleasure his fingers were giving.

"I can give you more, if you beg." he laughed.

"B-bastard..."

"Daniel."

"Enngh..."

"Do you want more?" he asked, lips moving so softly over my ear.

"Y-yes..." I flinched, my wince falling into a soft gasp when his fingers moved smoothly again.

"Yes what?"

"Y-yes...p-please..."

And then his fingers were gone.

"Oh come on Vlad! Not agai-"

And something much bigger than a finger was pressed against my entrance.

"V-Vlad?"

His teeth sunk into my neck, holding me down. The haze in my mind rapidly started clearing as I realized what was happening, panic pouring in. He was kneeling over me, positioning my hips in a very obvious way and holding them in place with his iron grip.

"NO! Vlad, don't! Seriously, stop!" I thrashed, scratching at his shoulders in the effort to push him away.

His fingers dug into my skin and I screamed when he started forcing his cock into my entrance.

"VLAD STOP!" My mind was ablaze with panic, tears welling in my eyes and spilling over.

He groaned against my neck, teeth clenching so hard they broke the skin. I screamed when he continued to push this throbbing erection in, my aching walls swallowing him whole. Pain racked my spine; body arching chaotically and fists jerking against the sheets. Vlad let go of my neck, breathing heavily and pressing in farther.

"S-stop, stop, p-please..." I sobbed, clenching my watery eyes shut when I felt his hips against my skin, able to feel his length fully sheathed within me.

"God, your so tight..." he groaned, kneeling over me again as he slowly pulled out.

I screamed, my agonized voice filling the room as Vlad thrust into me. He let out a low, almost inaudible gasp and grabbed my shoulders, pulling out and thrusting in again. My back arched, body tensing as I felt my muscles automatically clamp down on his member. Vlad groaned heavily, his nails digging into my skin.

"Relax Danny." he managed to force out, slowly grinding against my entrance.

"R-relax!? Are you ins-sane? Get _out _of me!" I cried, fulling aware of the embarrassing tears running down my face as I groaned painfully.

"Fine," he breathed, eyes devoured by lust, "Have it your way then."

He pulled out and thrust in violently, tearing his way through my delicate walls and erupting another scream from my throat. He didn't pause there, repeating the motion and rocking against the bed as he violated my entrance over and over again. Blood started staining the sheets, but I was too busy dealing the the fire racking my body to really notice. Vlad moaned as he pressed inside of me, his back arching and hands splayed on either side of my head. I grit my teeth, throwing my head back as I raked my nails over his skin.

Vlad smashed our lips together, grabbing my hair in a harsh grip and turning my head however he pleased, practically splitting my lips from the intensity of the kiss. I was desperate to loose my self is something, _anything_, to ignore the repeated thrusts into my abused entrance. I heard his heavy groan when I returned the kiss with equal intensity, hoping to god I conveyed how much _hate _and _humiliation_ I felt in that single bruising kiss.

An arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. My body rocked with his, filling me with disgust. The screams turned into choking gasps as the pain slowly decreased from fire to a dull ache. But the shame and humiliation only increased when I started feeling the pleasure shoot up my spine. Vlad moved his lips against mine with less ferocity, his thrusts slowing to steady tempo that had me aching to moan.

"Danny..." he breathed, moving his tongue against mine almost tenderly.

I choked on a sob, kissing him back and hating myself for it. Vlad ran his fingers through my hair, his hot gasps adding to the blood pounding in my ears. I grabbed his arms in a shaky grip, my limbs feeling like jelly. He started moving faster, his pace increasing. I gasped, back arching as I broke the kiss to moan loudly. Vlad gave a breathy laugh.

"You like that?"

He pressed in, grinning as I moaned weakly in response. Vlad pulled out suddenly and thrust forward, dragging another whimper from my throat when he hit that special spot. I felt his hand cup the arch of my back, another one running down my sweaty chest.

"God your beautiful," he murmured, kissing and biting my neck, his voice turning deeper "And your all _mine_..."

I felt my cock give a pleasurable twitch at his possessive tone, and probably would have died in mortification that I was turned on by that if I was in my right mind. But seeing as I was being pounded into a million dollar bed by the ruler of the world, my hormone washed mind was a little preoccupied. Instead I groaned against his ear, gripping his hair tightly and squeezing my eyes shut as I felt the pleasure build.

Vlad only increased his pace, moving faster and faster until my voice had risen to another scream. Grunting, he buried his cock deep inside of me, thrusting violently against my entrance. I screamed his name, stars dancing in my eyes as he hit that spot perfectly.

"Fuck!" I panted, gasping to keep my head from spinning, "D-do that again!"

Grinning victoriously, he shifted my hips slightly and pounded into me. He hit that spot over and over again, making my eyes roll in my head. I felt his lips on mine and blindly kissed him, struggling to keep my breath as my body was racked with ecstasy. Vlad thrust forward and groaned, pressing in deeper than ever and causing me to arch clean off the bed.

"Vlad!" I screamed, writhing as the pleasure built to a painful level and finally spilled over his sweating chest.

He let go of a gasp, pressing in again and releasing himself inside of me. I groaned, gripping his hair with both my hands and feeling the hot liquid fill my entrance. Vlad was panting laboriously, slowly moving his cock in and out as the climax gradually died down. My arms felt like lead. They dropped to the sheets as I panted, my chest rising and falling dramatically. Vlad slowly pulled his cock from my bleeding entrance, leaning down to kiss me.

I was so tired, my body somehow feeling like jelly and two ton bricks at the same time. Too weak to stop him, I let him take advantage of my exhausted state, bending it to his own. Vlad trailed down to my neck, gently turning my head however he pleased and gaining easier access to my shoulders. Slowly, he lowered himself next to me, kissing my exposed skin with velvety lips and always coming back up to press his tongue into my gasping mouth.

I struggled to breathe slowly as he moved against me, the dull ache from my backside dawning a new level of horror as I realized what we just did. Vlad's nude body was flush against mine, still hot and sweaty from the sex before. I looked down when he licked and nipped my shoulders, my own chest smeared with sweat and flecks of cum, blood staining the inside of my legs. I was a mess, and I sure as hell wasn't prepared to deal with it just yet.

With a pained grimace, I turned over in Vlad's arms, pressing my face into his chest and knowing full well that this probably looked like a priceless case of Stockholm syndrome. Vlad paused, but gently rested a hand against the back of my head, petting my hair like I was some pet. I could practically _feel_ the satisfied little smirk on his face as he languidly rubbed my back.

"I hate you." I whispered, sniffing quietly as a few more tears leaked out of my eyes.

"For now." he chuckled, wiping the wet streaks away.

I don't know how long we laid there. My mind was dead. I was like a limp puppet as Vlad whimsically kissed my neck, hands lightly brushing over my filthy body. I didn't want to think about it, about anything. Not my family, not my life, and certainly not Vlad. I just...I was so tired.

I think Vlad might have gotten up for a moment. Or a while. I don't know. But he eventually came back and I felt him clean the mess off my chest and legs with a warm wash cloth. He was silent for a while, but I could easily feel the triumphant air absolutely pouring off of him. Stupid jerk.

"How do you feel about Greece?"

Okay, so maybe I wasn't so tired that I could give him an incredulous stare at the completely random question.

"...What?"

"Greece. We've already been to Rome, and personally it just wasn't to my taste. I have a magnificent castle being built along the Aegean Sea though, and I think once the rebellions settle down we should be able to move in. Shouldn't take more than a few months, I'm sure."

I couldn't breathe. Greece? He's moving me to _Greece_? I'll never see my family again. I'll never see my friends. He's going to lock me up in some ridiculous bedchamber on the other side of the world and have his way with me until I go insane. I'll never...Sam and Tucker...Greece?

"Daniel? What's wrong my boy? You look a bit pale." he grinned.

Okay. That's it. I was done. After all the world domination, the kidnapping, the raping, and now this? I just wanted to crawl in a little black hole and never come out, but I guess unconsciousness would be good enough for now.

"Did I mention I hate you?" I muttered and then sweet darkness took over.

* * *

Greek history facinates me. And that's 17 pages of Vlad raping Danny. I'm a complete monster. T_T


	3. Chapter 3

Man, I'm really having way too much fun with this. I'm afraid I kind of rushed the ending though. :(

Enjoy!

* * *

"Tucker!" a low voice hissed, fear palpable.

"Dad, relax. There's no ghosts."

"Tucker, you get back here right now! Your making your mother a nervous wreck!"

"Just mom?" I snorted to myself, taking my last few seconds to peer out into the empty street.

They have to be here somewhere. I know they are. Sure, things have been a little crazy since Vlad took over, but Danny and Sam can take care of themselves. If I just keep looking I'll be able to meet up with them in no time and then I can get rid of this ten ton weight off my chest. My eyes scoured the rubble, praying for the quickest glance of Danny's snow white hair, or a corner of Sam's boot. But it was with a heavy heart that only more crumbling rocks, crackling embers of old fires, and distant screams met my gaze. Nothing but the same desolation that had been plaguing Amity Park for the last week. It was hardly even a town anymore.

"Tucker!"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming. Jeez."

Admittedly, I was a little bit scared to be on the streets anyways, but I'd never tell my parents that. They were kind of freaking out with the whole Vlad-ruling-the-world deal, so they needed someone experienced with this kind of stuff to help them out. Granted, they don't exactly know that I used to hunt ghosts after school with Danny and Sam, but whatever.

"Stop running off like that! You almost gave us a heart attack!" My dad scolded, grabbing my arm and ducking back into the ruined building we were currently holed up in.

"I'm just looking for Danny and Sam."

"Baby, we know you're worried, but please, stay where we can see you." Mom gripped my shoulders tightly, pulling me into a choking hug. I noticed that her brown eyes were glistening a little too brightly and instantly felt guilty.

She really was having a hard time with this, more so than Dad. She wanted to treat me like a toddler and hold my hand in every new house we took refuge in. Though it's not like I blame her. Half the time I'm kind of glad that she doesn't want to let go of my hand, not that I'll ever admit that either.

"Let's stay here for the night. It looks like the ghosts have already been through here recently, so we should be safe until the morning." Dad said, looking out the mud caked windows and the cracked walls with varying levels of satisfaction.

"Sweet. I'll raid the kitchens."

Dad gave an exasperated sigh as I ran off to the kitchen of whoever this house belonged to, whisper-yelling for me to be careful. The fridge was pretty bleak, full of moldy food thanks to the lack of power. I shut the door quickly, gaging. Some cans were in the cabinets, beans and fruit cocktail stuff. Mom would like the fruit. Today must have been my lucky day too, cause I managed to find a can opener. It was kinda bent, but it'd work.

By the time I returned to the bedroom we were going to sleep in (the living room had a giant hole in the wall), Dad already had stuff to barricade the door with and Mom had as many pillows and sheets as she could find on the floor with the torn up mattress. They both jumped when I walked in, but quickly relaxed, eying the food in my arms.

"Hey Mom, I got fruit cocktail." I smiled, holding the can up triumphantly.

She gave me a tired but genuine smile, thanking me when I threw it to her.

"And there was some vegetable junk and beans in the cabinets too. You can have the veggies, Dad." I don't care who the world was being ruled by, I'll never eat vegetables.

"How much extra?"

"Only, like, three cans."

He nodded, taking the information to heart and packing the leftover cans in the canvas bag we had. There wasn't much talking as we ate, but that was pretty usual. Dad was too strained to chat and Mom was too stressed. I volunteered to make a last sweep of the house before we closed up, but Dad wouldn't let me so he did it instead. I was left with the beans and Mom, trying my best to distract her. I managed to get her to smile again, and that was two in one night so this was some serious progress. Once Dad came back we ate quickly. There weren't any more jokes passed around the table or delicious slices of meatloaf. We mostly ate in silence, sitting close together and keeping an eye on the door. However, just because we were all more depressed than Sam in the Summer time, it didn't stop us from being a family, which sounds kinda lame but it was all we had left...

Amity started burning almost as soon as I woke up on that bleak, Monday morning. I remember getting ready to call Danny when suddenly Mom was screaming about a fire, rushing to grab the family hard drive that had all of our pictures on it. Dad burst into my room in a panic, yanking me out the door so fast I only had time to grab my PDA.

We all rushed out the door, meeting the countless number of families already running out into the streets. The entire neighborhood seemed to be aflame, houses turned into giant bonfires. I don't remember too much, panic having taken over as Dad dragged me and Mom to the car. People were everywhere, trying to carry couches down the street and save all their family treasures from the blaze. Lucky for us, most of our family history stuff was converted into various hard drives, so we didn't have a lot to carry. But Mom did loose that china cabinet Gran gave her.

Dad was driving just as bad as Mr. Fenton. He kept breaking all sorts of laws in an attempt to get away from the fire. I tried getting him to drive to Danny's or Sam's, but he was really thin on patience and told me not to distract him. So instead I used my PDA to access the news, irrationally hoping to hear even the smallest tidbit about my friends.

"Three sectors of Amity Park have been turned into a raging inferno, causing mass chaos as people struggle to escape the fires. Reports of a ghostly army beginning to march have been confirmed as true, blocking many streets and detours for the sudden refugees."

"Dad, slow down, we've got a prob-!"

"Maurice! Ghosts!"

Dad slammed on the breaks, bringing us to a screeching halt. The cars around us all came to a sudden halt, some crashing into others or random telephone poles. People were fleeing in the opposite direction, screaming fearfully. Some were even abandoning their cars, desperately running away from the wall of green, gormless ghosts swiftly approaching.

"Helen, we've got to move! Now!"

"But what about the pictures! I am not leaving my baby's pictures be-"

"Mom, we gotta go!" I yelled, stomach bottoming out when I witnessed one of the ghosts literally kill a fleeing citizen, heartlessly stabbing the man with its crude sword. Holy...

Mom screamed, quickly catching sight of another murder and suddenly forgetting all about my baby pictures. We jumped out of the car, rushing in the opposite direction as the ghosts marched. My heart was pounding, panic and adrenaline driving me. They were actually _killing _people...

Still, I found room to be terrified for Danny and Sam, wondering where they were and if they were okay. _Especially _Danny.

"Tucker! Hurry!" Mom yelled, grabbing my arm in a vice like grip, eyes wide with fear.

Yeah, it was only thanks to the adrenaline that I was able to run farther than ten feet, and we ran _a lot_ farther than ten feet. It all turned into one giant screaming chaotic mess, quickly condensing any worries to my family and my friends. I barely remember what happened as we ran from the ghosts and into the fires, trying my hardest to ignore the anguished screams I knew were coming from dying people. This was way worse than Pariah Dark, a hundred times worse.

Dad managed to find a place to hide, but it was a crazy and risky idea. We weren't sure if the ghost's were looking through the houses or if they were just marching in a line and killing everyone in their path, but eventually we realized we couldn't keep running because the ghost's started turning up everywhere. We'd run down one street to see another line of green ghouls, turning around to another only to meet the same sight.

Dad, in a fit of desperation, led us down an ally and into a dumpster. It was pretty natural for me, seeing as I used to get shoved in dumpsters on a daily bases via high school. Mom didn't protest either, grabbing the collar of my shirt and dragging me in. Dad closed the lid and we all buried to the bottom of the rank mess, seriously about to throw up from the stench. But anything was better than being out where everybody was still screaming and running, so we sucked it up and dealt with it. As long as the ghost's weren't looking for us, all we had to worry about were the fires.

It seemed like hours we were huddled up in that dark pit of garbage, clutching each other closely as we waited and listening to the screams slowly die down. Mom was crying by then, weeping into my Dad's shoulder. I think he was still in shock, not even bothering to wipe away the bit of ketchup running down the side of his face. I didn't know what to do, so I just sat there and hugged my parents, praying to God that Danny and Sam were okay.

Miraculously, we survived with our secret dumpster hiding spot. The screaming lasted till around midnight, but Dad wouldn't let us leave until morning came. I think he was scared of the dark with the whole ghost thing, not that I blame him. We finally emerged from our smelly hole about an hour past sunrise, stepping out into the relatively silent streets and witnessing the carnage left behind.

I'm not ashamed to say that me and Dad threw up. Mom started crying again.

It was like something straight out of those horror movies I suddenly didn't love anymore. People, real people, were dead and rotting in the streets, some of them reduced to ash from the fire. I didn't even have to exaggerate because it was horrible enough as it was. The only good thing was that we barely noticed the stench thanks to our night in the dumpster.

The first thing we did was look for any survivors, finding only a few. They told us the ghosts were still patrolling the streets, though there weren't as many as last night. And they didn't go through houses, so as long as you stayed out of sight or out of their way you were safe. Most of them were busy erecting a wall around the whole town anyways, complete with barbed wire and battlements. Unfortunately that meant we were all trapped. Anyone who tried to leave town was killed. I asked if they knew what happened to the Fentons and Mansons, but most shrugged helplessly. Except for one person, who said she heard the Fenton's had been fighting the ghosts all night, trying to claw their way to Vlad Master's mansion. That wasn't reassuring.

Dad led us to a house that was still standing for the most part, where we planned on getting our bearings and figuring out what to do next. I suggested going to the Fenton's cause a) they're the best ghost fighters and b) I was scared to death for my best friend. Luckily, Dad wasn't too difficult to sway. Everyone knew the Fenton's were the best ghost hunters, which automatically made them the safest bet. So after my first experience of pillaging through someone else's kitchen for breakfast, we all set off for Fenton Works, careful to keep in the shadows.

It took a heck of a lot longer than usual to get there, cause Dad was really paranoid about being caught. What usually took me fifteen minutes to walk took an entire twenty four hours instead. We finally reached Danny's house around noon the next day, and what we found was worse than all the ghost's put together.

It was abandoned, completely empty. Full of precarious cracks and charred holes, the house was obviously treated to both abuse and fire. The front door looked broken in, and the huge Op-Center was in shambles along the street. I was more than crushed, more than shocked; I was completely devastated by what I saw, my heart sinking like a rock. Every moment I stared at the ruined house was a moment I lost hope that my best friend was still alive, that Vlad hadn't already...

Dad slowly dragged us inside, still paranoid as he carefully crossed the broken threshold. The inside was worse, only confirming my fears. There were obvious signs of a struggle, and not the normal ghost vs human struggle.

"What in the world...?" Dad muttered, looking at the familiar slow melting ice on the ceiling.

I swallowed thickly, not quite forcing the lump down in my throat. I almost lost it there, almost spilled everything. The worst part about me having the most ghost fighting experience was that I knew what Vlad was after and I knew what probably happened to the Fentons, but I couldn't express that to my parents as anything more than fears. I really _really _wanted to talk to them about it, to have them tell me that I was wrong and my best friend was just fine. However, I couldn't betray Danny's trust without knowing if he'd want me too or not. It just...didn't feel right.

"Tucker? Sweetie?" My mom had said softy, resting a gentle hand on my back as I surveyed the scorched, ghost blasts and Danny-sized imprints on the walls.

Okay, so I cried a little bit, but it was to be expected, right? Both my friends were missing, and one might even be dead. I wasn't even going to acknowledge the congealed red and green blood on the floor.

We left the Fenton's feeling more disheartened than ever, hopelessness weighing heavily on our shoulders. The only plus side was that there were more people around the Fenton's house, assuming you knew where to look. I guess we weren't the only ones to figure they would be the safest place to go. Too bad they were gone.

While I was struggling to find a reason to live, Dad started talking to the other survivors, asking every question known to man in an attempt to get information. I owe my continued existence to him because it was through his questioning that we roughly got a picture of what happened, and where they are now.

Most say the ghost march started from the Fenton's house, that Lord Plasimus had attacked there himself personally. That much was a given. No one was really sure what happened, but by the time the army was marching through Amity, Mrs. and Mr. Fenton and Jazz were all in the streets with guns blazing. No one saw Danny though. However, because I knew a little background information on Vlad, I knew that his intended target was supposed to be Maddie Fenton as his Queen (gag) and Jack Fenton as dead, but instead Mr. Fenton was still alive and Mrs. Fenton was still with the family so something was wrong. The only thing I could guess was Vlad had kidnapped (not killed) Danny, and for some reason left the rest of the Fenton's alone. After all, why would they be fighting tooth and nail to get to Vlad's castle if Danny wasn't there?

As I was deep in my thinkings, Dad continued to ask more questions. Me and Mom spent time with the other families, trying to find food and water. Not a lot of people would talk though, and it wasn't until a day later that we learned the most important piece of information.

"Resistance?"

"Yeah, only you didn't hear it from me." A twitchy guy around his twenties muttered to my Dad, eyes glancing around in paranoia.

By now we were in a house nearby the abandoned Fenton Works. There were a few other families sharing the space with us, but while it was nice to have company, no one wanted to have a light conversation. It had taken my Dad at least an hour of prodding to get what little he could from the twitchy dude.

"Wait-what Resistance?"

"The Fenton's man! They got a secret place and they're building up an army to take down Lord Plasmius." He was talking so quietly my Dad had to lean in, almost falling on his face.

"Where are they at? How do I find them?" Dad asked, sounding more than a little desperate. He didn't know how to handle a ghost invasion any better than the rest of us.

The twitchy man cast a suspicious glare around him, as though thinking the depressed, half asleep citizens around us cared about listening in on his conversation. He motioned for Dad to come closer, whispering into his ear so quietly I had to strain to hear.

"They say it's at the school, but it's not. It's nearly in between Master's mansion and the wall's entrance gate, a building with a think green line around it. But it's hard to get to. There's so many ghost float'in around the area, only the desperate try to get in."

I didn't like the way he was grinning, looking more and more like a maniac than an informant. Dad seemed to think the same thing, raising an eye brow warily.

"And how do you know about it?"

"I listen. Some people are abandoning their families to join up, but no one knows if they make it."

"Hmm. And how would I get there?"

"Maurice, you're not actually thinking of going, are you?" Mom gasped, staring incredulously.

"Well of course we are! I'll bet you anything Sam's there and the Fenton's will know what to do better than any of us." I interjected, sounding a little desperate myself. The dude may be a little nuts, but he's offering the first chance of hope we've had, so I wanted to take it.

Dad just stared at Twitch, waiting for an answer.

And _that _is how we ended up in the home of some random person (some random probably dead person) holed up in a bed room eating canned fruit, veggies, and beans. So far we've been house jumping for two days, and thankfully Mom made Dad pick up the pace because were were a heck of a lot farther than just thirty minutes from Fenton Works. Judging by the more numerous ghost sightings, Dad reckons we're getting close to the Resistance, probably only a day away. Now the problem is finding the right building.

"Tucker, eat all your food."

"I did eat all my food!"

Dad made a sign for me to quiet down, standing up and pushing a lopsided dresser against the door. I sighed, apologizing to Mom before going to help. It didn't take long to barricade ourselves in, closing the room in darkness. Honestly, it wasn't exactly necessary to lock ourselves in a room like this, but it just made everyone feel safer. Here we knew exactly what surrounded us, no ghosts, no deranged animals, and no violent looters. As long as we made sure to forget ghosts can walk through walls, we felt totally safe. Granted, the ghosts aren't walk through houses anyways, but whatever. It helps us sleep at night.

I turned on my PDA, knowing I had just minutes of battery left. I only used it as a flashlight now, helping me and my family see as we settled into our little make shift bed. I felt Mom and Dad automatically lay on either side of me, hugging me close between them. I rolled my eyes at their protectiveness, but couldn't stop the small smile from sliding onto my face. It was nice to have my parents so close, for once. It actually made me regret all the times we could have spent together instead of apart.

"I love you guys." I yawned, scratching my neck and hoping to appear nonchalant enough.

They both gave me a tight squeeze, Dad fondly throwing my dirt covered barre askew.

"We love you too, Tucker." Mom said quietly, her voice floating in the darkness.

I still didn't fall asleep for a long time after that. The comfort, safety, and love my parents were giving me was too bitter sweet. I could only hope that Danny and Sam we're as secure as I was, wrapped up by their families and unharmed. Unfortunately, I had the sinking feeling that they weren't so lucky.

-------------------------------------------------------------XxX

"Helen, Tucker, wake up."

Someone was gently shaking my shoulder, a loud yawn echoing to my right. I grumbled, burying my head in whatever soft thing it was laying on.

"Five more minutes..."

"No, come on Tucker, I think it's morning."

I groaned when Mom rolled me over, blinking my eyes to the still pitch black of the room. I'll never get over how weird it is to wake up and still see darkness. It made me feel sorry for blind people. Judging by the stumbling footsteps, Dad was trying to make his way to the barricade. He tripped though, falling against something hard and painful with a grunt.

"You alright, hon?"

"Fine, just tripped." He replied sheepishly.

Several grunts and my forced help later, Dad was tentatively cracking open the door, peaking into the light as though it were going to eat him. I looked around our room as Dad checked to make sure the coast was clear, the soft light just ghosting over my Mom's worried form.

"All clear?"

He didn't answer right away, sticking his head out for a moment and then stepping out of the room to check the rest of the house. Five long minutes later he returned with a relieved smile, nodding and motioning for us to come out. Me and Mom were happy to comply, stretching our legs in the ruined house as we fully woke up for the day.

"Now where to?" I groaned through a stretch, looking at my parents expectantly.

Dad looked thoughtful for a moment, glancing out the hole in the wall to the clear streets. Mom slowly came up behind him, looking for ghosts with a worried expression.

"Maurice," she began in that hushed tone that she thought I couldn't hear, "Maurice, there must have been four troops that passed us yesterday."

"I know," he replied in that same quiet voice, "I think a troop's been through here recently though. See?"

He pointed to a fresh pile of goo, still steaming. I didn't even _want_ to know what that was.

"But do you think we should go any farther? It's getting so dangerous. Maybe we should just look for the resistance around here."

"No, we gotta keep going!" I interrupted, looking out the hole in the wall myself.

"Tucker, get back here!" Dad whisper-yelled again, pulling me back.

I scowled, so starting to get tired of the baby crap. I liked Mom and Dad's over protectiveness when it wasn't suffocating me, and right now, it was suffocating.

"Twitch said the resistance is between Vlad's mansion and that giant gate out of Amity, right?"

"Twitch?"

"We don't know where we're at," I continued, ignoring my Dad's look, "And if we just stop and start looking we'll only be putting ourselves at more risk. We're more likely to get caught if we stay still."

"But Tucker, how can we know if we're in between the mansion and the gate anyways? That man's directions we're very vague, we don't want to go even deeper into the ghost area if we can avoid it."

I frowned, trying to figure out a way around my mom's logic. If only I could fly like Danny, then I'd be able to see where the heck we were at. Mom and Dad started debating again, talking in hushed whispers as I tried to think of a solution. Unfortunately, all I could come up with was using my PDA to hack into some satellites. From there I could get a good aerial image by pinpointing my download signal, but my PDA didn't even have enough juice to access the Internet, so that idea was shot. I tried looking around for the hundredth time, wishing the answer would just pop out at me when I noticed the half crumbled staircase.

"Hey wait a sec..." I began, suddenly seeing the steps in a whole new light.

"I have an idea!"

"Tucker? Tucker! Get back here!" Dad whisper-yelled, trying to make a grab for me as I bolted to the stairs.

"Tucker!" Mom's muffled squeak hiccuped in fear.

I ran the last few feet, nimbly stepping on the shaky stairs and forcing myself to the top. This was no time to get cold feet. I could still hear my parents frantically hissing for me to come back down when I finally made it up the last stair, standing on the even shakier second floor.

"We need to see where we're at." I explained, halting them in their attempted threats. What were they gonna do? Ground me? "The ceiling's caved in up here, so I should be able to climb up and get a higher view."

"Tucker, you are not going to climb on a crumbling house, now you get right back down here before I come up there and get you myself!"

"You're too heavy Dad, you'll break the staircase and then how will I get down?" I shrugged, figuring I might as well get this over with while I still had the nerve, "Be right back!"

As I ignored their parental panicking, I was able to better see just how caved in the roof was. I remember noticing it yesterday, but only now did I see the potential it had. Luckily for me, part of the roof was actually still up, and the cave in was really just a giant hole. It looked as though something had crashed through the roof, maybe a rock or some fighting ghosts or something. Either way, I made a mental note to be careful. I didn't want to be spotted by any flying ghouls.

It was a little difficult, but I managed to get a decent footing on the scratchy roofing, climbing up like a monkey when I got the hang of it. A few pieces of wood creaked ominously, but I didn't linger long enough to check if they would hold. Hoisting myself onto the roof was a bit harder than I thought it would be, but after the third try I managed to kick my legs over.

The wind was much stronger up here, forebodingly so. I sat down on the roof to catch my breath, heart pumping fearfully when I felt the whole house just barely shift with the wind. That quickly got me moving again, sliding like an inch worm as I dared myself to go higher. It was difficult, trying to stay within the shadow of a protruding part of the roof and get to a higher vantage point. The ghost's flying around in the distance weren't helping either.

I couldn't see any close by, but I could hear them cackling. Every time I heard one close by body would freeze. I had to force myself to look out, not even recognizing Amity Park anymore. As I had expected, many of the houses were either destroyed or ruined in some way. A few fires were still raging, and far off I saw dust flying up as another building toppled, but I couldn't let myself get distracted by the bleak landscape.

Quickly, I scanned for Vlad's mansion and the gate, not at all surprised when they practically jumped out like a sore thumb. The wall around Amity was nearly finished. All that was left was connecting the last bit to the gate, which wouldn't take more than a few days. The gate itself was massive, visible even from the distance I was at. It looked large enough for two stacked houses to fit through, and the wall went over top of it. In a few days, it'd be the only way out of Amity Park, unless you were half ghost or all ghost, and I didn't plan on becoming either any time soon.

Vlad's mansion was even bigger than before, or was that just because it looked twice as imposing? All the other houses around it had been leveled, more barriers and mini-walls erected around the property. It seemed Vlad wasted no time in protecting himself against any and all intruders, definitely going the extra mile. I frowned bitterly, momentarily wondering if my best friend was behind all those walls.

Another cackle, this one dangerously close, alerted me to my surroundings. I jumped, quickly returning to the task at hand and scanning my surroundings. The house we were at wasn't quite in between the mansion and the gate, but there was a hotel building not far that seemed pretty much in the middle. I felt a grin spread over my face when I saw the thick green line Twitch described; it was just a fancy part of the architecture. I was willing to bet one of my PDA's that the resistance was in the basement of that hotel, and when I bet my technology, I bet to win.

"Tucker! You are in so much trouble!" My Dad hissed when I finally made it back to the first floor.

Mom just scooped me up in a hug, saying my name over and over again and petting my barre like it was a long lost pet.

"But I know where the resistance is!" I protested, slightly muffled by my mom's ferocious hug.

Dad didn't look convinced, still glaring at me with steam coming out of his ears.

"Okay, I'm sorry I ran off, but I had to see where we were at and I was the only one light enough to make it up the stares. Seriously, I was just fine. Nothing saw me and I didn't even come close to getting caught." So it wasn't the complete truth, but at least Dad wasn't glaring anymore.

"You had us worried sick, young man."

"I know, and I'm sorry," I replied, hoping I sounded sorry enough for him to listen to me, "But I swear, I think I know where the resistance is. There's a hotel not far from here and it fits perfectly with what Twitch was saying."

Mom was still hugging me, though it wasn't nearly as suffocating as before. Dad gave me a long level look, clearly debating.

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"How far?"

"Not even a half mile."

He was still angry, but I could tell he was at least happy that we might have found what we've been looking for. After a long while he sighed in a way that I knew meant he was giving in. I could barely hold my excitement when he nodded to Mom, looking at me with one last glare.

"Alright, we'll go to the hotel building, but don't you _ever _run off like that again."

Twenty minutes later we were hiking through what used to be the streets of Amity Park, though a more appropriate description might be hopping through the ruins of Amity park. Dad led the way, carrying the small canvas bag that had our food in it. He was holding Mom's hand, and she was holding mine, dragging me forward as we house hopped along.

None of us talked, focused on getting to our destination. Twice, a troop of ten ghouls stalked the streets, forcing us to cower behind a wall or dash into a closed room. As long as they didn't see us we'd be safe. Dad was usually hard to get moving after these times, insisting on waiting at least ten minutes for any more ghosts.

It was nearing noon when the hotel building came into focus, and I was practically jumping out of my skin with anticipation. I didn't even take the time to listen to Mom when she tried to tell me not to get so excited, that I might have been wrong about the resistance location. All I could think about was finally seeing Danny and Sam, the big smiles on their faces when I trooped through the front door. I could barely contain myself.

It seemed like ages before we were finally facing the still-erect hotel, silently and carefully scanning the streets for danger from a window of an empty McDuckalds. Dad kept staring at the hotel with tangible hope in his eyes, if nothing else at least seeing a place where we could camp out for a while. The building was only slightly damaged, a few cracks and broken windows, but no fallen walls or gaping holes. Mom and Dad were debating whether or not to wait for the next troop of ghosts to float by or if we should just make a break for it. It was all I could do not to bolt for the dingy red doors right across the street.

"The last troop was almost twenty five minutes ago, and what if that door is locked? We could be stranded."

"Stranded? There are plenty of crumbled buildings to duck behind Dad, and the more we argue the more time we waste. Let's just go and get it over with. The streets are totally silent!"

He and Mom still didn't look convinced.

"Okay, first cackle of mad ghost laughter we hear, and I won't pester you about the resistance ever again, deal?" I was only saying this because I totally _knew_ the resistance was behind that door.

This was enough to change their minds, but that might have been because I haven't stopped talking about the resistance since we started out for the hotel building.

"Fine." Dad agreed hesitantly, "but on the count of three, okay? And I want you guys to run for it. We'll try the door once and then we duck and cover in that little building right over there, got it?"

"Got it." I repeated, bouncing out of my skin.

"Tucker, stay _still_. Okay...you ready Helen?"

Mom nodded, looking slightly sick.

"On three. One, two, th-"

And of course, a loud ghostly cackle echoed through the streets at the most appropriate time, freezing us to our bones.

"Oh man, you've gotta be-!"

Dad grabbed me before I could finish, dragging me and mom behind the register counter and looking stricken. I just scowled, knowing I was going to have to wait at least ten more minutes before we'd be going anywhere.

But as the ghost's got closer, my irritation ebbed away and was slowly replaced with that same, spine chilling coldness. I felt, instead of saw, the ghost's pass. The icy shiver ran down my back, raising the hairs on my neck as they moaned by. The feel of death slowly crept away with them, thankfully letting the warm atmosphere of the living return as they rounded a corner.

"I hate that." I muttered, giving a last good, cold chill before shaking it off.

Mom and Dad were taking slow breathes, though Dad kept his hand on my arm to make sure I stayed put. As predicted, it took at least ten minutes for us to get back into our position before the ghost troop came by, and by now I was grinding my teeth in anticipation.

"Alright, let's do it again," Dad whispered, carefully opening the door and peering down the empty street for the hundredth time, "One...two...THREE!"

It took all of ten seconds, eight to run across the street and two to yank the door open. Me, Mom, and Dad all piled in like a family of fleeing refugees(which we kinda were), and fell in a heap as soon as the door shut behind us. My heart was racing even though the second long sprint was nothing short of anticlimactic. I slowly gained control of my breathing to glance around at my surroundings, facing a typical, boring hotel lobby. Of course, it was in much shabbier conditions than it would be if it was still in business, but whatever. However, there was one thing that caused a smile to burst onto my face, a waterfall of relief washing through me. I couldn't quite stop the slightly hysterical laughter from slipping past my lips, feeling almost light headed.

"Tucker, what's wrong baby?" Mom asked, instantly worried.

But I just pointed up, at the Danny Phantom logo scratched into a decorative pillar in front of us, haphazardly colored in with some kind of black pen.

"We made it..." I breathed, feeling my muscles relax for the first time in ages. All I could imagine was seeing Sam's face and Danny's goofy grin. I missed my friends so badly.

"Are...are you sure?" Dad asked awkwardly, not wanting to dash my hopes but not entirely convinced.

Then a set of pounding stomps echoed from behind a metal door to the right of us, rapidly getting closer and closer to me and my family. Mom and Dad's breath hitched in fear, but my smile only grew and I quickly pushed myself to my feet. I'd know those heavy combat boot stomps anywhere.

"Tucker!" Sam shouted as she threw the door open, almost clobbering me to the floor with the intensity of her hug.

Mom and Dad gasped from behind me, but I was way too busy hugging my totally alive friend to really noticed. Relief and happiness like I've never experienced flowed through me, so grateful that she was okay and safe. I hugged Sam back as tightly as I could, though my wimpy strength was nothing compared to hers. I'd missed her so much.

"Sam, thank god you're here!" I grinned, hugging her again.

Sam let out a laugh, the smile on her face so bright it should have been impossible.

"I didn't know goth's could smile like that."

She punched me in the arm, giving the same shaky laugh of relief that was coming from me too. Before any one could say anything else though, another set of feet tapped up the stairs, sounding way too dainty for the war zone of a life we were living. Sam's mom swung around the corner, an expression of fear on her face until she spotted me and my family.

"Sammykins! I told you to stop running off every time the door opens! That could have been anyone!"

"Chill, Mom, it's just Tucker." She smiled, and I had to do a double take cause she was really _smiling_. At her _mom_.

"Well," Pamela let out a breath, holding her chest for a moment before smoothing out her filthy dress, "I see. Thank goodness it's one of your friends, right dear?"

She smiled up at Sam who even more amazingly, smiled back again, which was the second time in thirty seconds in case any one wasn't counting. I glanced between the mother and daughter before shaking my head, deciding it was just the whole world-domination thing that had them finally getting along. Figures it'd take a psychotic billionaire to accomplish that, though.

"Come on! Every one's down here! I've been waiting forever for you to show up!"

Sam grabbed my arm and dragged me off, barely giving me time to wave good bye to my dumbfounded parents before being whisked away. Sam's mom would take care of them. She took me through the metal door and down a long flight of stairs, to the very basement of the hotel building. I tried to listen to everything she was saying, because she was talking about a million different things at once. I didn't mind though, I was just so happy that she was safe.

"Sam, slow down! I've been on the run for a week, have mercy!"

"If you didn't suck at gym so much you'd be able to keep up." she teased, but thankfully slowed her pace to a normal human being.

"Where's Danny?" I quickly asked, needing to know where he was.

But when Sam froze, I knew that was the wrong question. She halted suddenly in front of the dirt stained basement door. I watched as all the excitement and happiness visibly left her form, shoulders sagging and a heavy sigh escaping her lips. That was practically answer enough, and I could already feel my heart starting to weigh down with anxious misery.

"Don't...don't mention Danny in front of Mrs. Fenton." she said quietly, all the life dead in her eyes.

"What happened to him?" I croaked, the horrible image of his dead body repeatedly flashing in my head.

"Vlad attacked their house Monday morning," she began after a moment, turning around to face me and leaning against the door. "He brought a bunch of ghosts with him and they all held the Fenton's hostage while Danny was forced to fight."

"He didn't...they don't know his secret, do they?" I already knew the answer.

"How else could Danny stand a chance against Vlad?" Sam frowned, fists clenching. "That fruitloop forced him to change in front of his family, and then he dragged him back to his mansion once Danny could barely stand."

I wasn't too surprised to see the beginnings of tears start in her eyes, knowing how deep her feelings for Danny went. Still, she's never even shown a hint of such emotion in front of me, so I could only imagine how scared she must feel. I myself could barely believe it, my best friend...

"He was kidnapped by Vlad?" I asked quietly knowing the answer was obvious but unable to stop the question from slipping out.

"Yeah." Sam muttered softly, staring at the floor with a far away look of sorrow.

I'm not sure how long silence passed between us, both lost in our own empty thoughts. I felt so useless, knowing exactly where my best friend was and not being able to help him. It left a hollow emptiness in my head, the sudden over whelming feeling that we were all in way over our heads. And Danny...

It was the sound of heavy foot steps that finally jerked us out of our silent stares. Sam jumped, quickly sniffing and wiping her eyes dry. I forced my own feelings away, shaking it off but not quite able to bring my smiles back up again. Mom, Dad, and Sam's mom came from the lobby floor, talking animatedly and still grinning in relief. My parents noticed my distinct lack of happiness though, quickly dropping their own smiles in concern.

"Tucker, what's wrong baby?" Mom asked.

My mom's question took a minute to make its way into my numb brain, and when it did I didn't even want to answer. She stepped closer to me, blatant concern on her face as she asked the question again. I just shook my head, staring at the ground and forcing my mouth to cooperate.

"Danny's been kidnapped by Vlad." I finally managed to whisper.

Expressions of sympathy instantly appeared on my parents faces', and they were real too. They knew how close me and Danny were, having been friends since we could barely walk. No one really moved for a moment, a thick silence settling in the air. It wasn't until my Mom walked over and gave me a tight hug that I let myself break a little, falling into her embrace.

"But why would Lord Plasmius kidnap Danny?" Dad asked, "He's just a teenager."

I pulled away from my mom, glancing at Sam. Should I tell them? I wasn't sure I'd be able to even if could. There were a lot of secrets in that one question. But then Sam stepped up to the plate, resting a supporting hand on my shoulder as she answered my Dad's deceptively complex inquiry.

"You might as well find out now, because everyone else behind that door knows." She began, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. Her expression softened, obvious memories plaguing her for a moment though she forced on. "Danny got into an accident in his freshmen year. We were all down in the Fenton's lab when he went inside their unactive ghost portal. We were just messing around, but something happened and the portal ended up turning on while he was still inside. He got caught in the blast of whatever the heck it was, and, uh, well he ended up half ghost."

Mom and Dad blinked, obviously waiting for the 'April fools' part. Sam winced slightly, her silence dawning a degree of horror on their faces when they realized she wasn't kidding.

"Half...half ghost? Like Vlad Masters?"

"Yeah. I don't know if you've noticed, but Danny Phantom hasn't been seen for a week now. That's because Danny _is _Danny Phantom. He..._We_...have been fighting ghosts after school since freshmen year."

Oh, my parents were about to flip a lid.

"You WHAT!"

Instantly, they rounded on me.

"You've been fighting _ghosts_? With _Phantom_?"

"No, with _Danny_. It's fine Mom-"

"Fine? You could have been killed! I've seen the kind of ghost's Phantom-Danny-_whoever_-fights! And you're telling me you've been there the whole time!?"

"But I-"

"I can't believe you kids have been putting yourselves at risk like that! It's completely irresponsible-"

"Irresponsible?" I yelled, outraged. "How the heck is saving people irresponsible?"

"Don't you raise your voice to your mother like that, young man. You're only fifteen years old, you don't need to go around playing super hero."

"We're not 'playing super hero,' we're saving people!"

"Yes Tucker, saving people usually entails playing super hero."

I glared, clenching my fists tightly.

"It's not a joke, Dad. Danny got those powers for a reason. He has the strength to help people, so why shouldn't he use it? It could be worse! He could put his abilities to world domination like another certain half ghost, but instead he chose to give up more than you guys can imagine to help people in need! I'd never leave my best friend to carry something like that on his own, and I don't plan on starting now."

"You all are much too young to be carrying that kind of burden, Tucker Foley. You have your own well being to look out for!"

"So you're saying we should be selfish jerks and let people die?" I gapped, not believing what I was hearing.

"You should have left something as dangerous as ghost hunting to professionals!"

I grit my teeth, blood pounding in my ears. I couldn't believe my parents. After all the good we've done, they have the nerve to stand there and yell at me like I shouldn't have tried to help people. I felt my throat tighten, images of my best friend flashing through my head. He's done so much, and no one even cares. Not even my own parents. And now...now he's...

"Danny deals with more than you'll ever know." I forced out, voice rough, "He's been hunted by his own parents, beaten within an inch of his life, and now he's in the clutches of an insane psychopath. And you know what? He puts up with it every day to make sure we can all go to bed at night feeling safe."

Mom and Dad were silent, even Sam's mom was staring at me with a sort of choked silence. Sam walked beside me, putting a hand on my shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze.

"He's been a hero to us for almost two years." I whispered, "And practically everyone in Amity hates him for it. I'm not going to leave my friend for dead after everything he's done for us. I won't abandon him."

My parents didn't know how to respond, staring at me almost in awe. I think I saw tears glistening in my Mom's eyes again, but I didn't let myself get swayed by them. I stood tall by what I said, meeting my Dad's eyes with a challenging stare. I waited for them to start yelling again, to try and tell me I was in over my head, but it was actually Sam's mom who broke the silence.

"I wouldn't fight your son too much on something like this," she spoke up quietly, coming to stand behind Sam, looking down at her with a soft smile. "I understand what you're feeling. When my Sammykins told me she'd been putting herself in danger like that, I was scared too, but..."

She trailed off, falling quiet for a moment before taking a deep breathe. I've never seen Sam's mom like this before, so calm and understanding. I barely knew what to think.

"But our kids are as strong as they are stubborn. They won't leave Danny, and we shouldn't ask them too. As parents, it's our job to love and encourage our children,...not control and shelter them. My...my late husband..."

I felt my heart hollow out, suddenly understanding why Sam and her mom were getting along so well. Sam's expression was stone, eyes blank. I swallowed thickly as her mom struggled to continued, taking another deep breathe and reigning in her emotions.

"Jeremy...he understood that better than I did. And it t-took his death to see that my daughter has a certain strength that people don't normally possess. ...I can tell your son has that too, and he's going to need you to fall on when times get rough. So please...don't try to control him. You'll only push him away."

I felt a little blank, not quite sure what to think. I know that speech was something Sam's wanted to hear for years, but coming with the price of her father's life, I wasn't so sure she could enjoy it anymore. The heavy pain in her eyes was more than enough of a hint. She had Danny's kidnapping _and _her Dad's death to deal with...

I took her hand from my shoulder, holding it gently and returning the comforting squeeze she had give me. The smallest glance of amethyst eyes meet mine for a moment, a minuscule smile ghosting over her lips.

"Things have gotten a lot harder since the box ghost, huh Tuck?" she said quietly, eyes down cast again though the shadow of a smile remained.

"...Yep..."

Our parents were silent, lost in their own thoughts. Sam's mom was shaking with the obvious effort to hold back tears and Sam automatically reached out to pull her in for a one handed hug. I watched the touching scene with more sadness than anything else, finally looking to my own parents and releasing Sam's comforting hand.

They looked down at me with the same misery in Sam's eyes, fear and anguish obvious in their expressions. Mom hiccuped slightly, falling to her knees and pulling me into a tight hug.

"I don't want to loose you, Tucker." she whispered, gripping my dirty shirt like I was about to go intangible.

Dad came up beside her, resting a hand on my back. I was surprised to see something close to respect in his silent gaze. He stared at me for a while, the sadness in his expression palpable.

"I...I'm very scared for you," he said quietly, pausing, "And I don't like you fighting ghosts, but...I'm also very proud of you, son."

I couldn't completely stop the smile from spreading across my face, heart feeling warm with pride from his words. Dad smiled softly, patting my head before wrapping his arms around both me and my Mom. It was a relief to finally have my secret life off my chest, and even better was the acceptance of my parents. It only fed the fire to save my friend, because I knew his parents would accept him too. I know he'll be happier than he's ever been when he can finally hug his parents as Danny Phantom.

After our long hug fest, we all pulled away with nervous smiles, everything out in the open now and only the resistance door left to cross. I still didn't know what to expect, starting to feel the excited butter flies start up as Sam put her hand on the door knob. She turned back to us with the beginnings of a dramatic grin creeping up, finally throwing open the door with a grand sweep of her arm.

"Welcome to the Resistance."


	4. Chapter 4

This story is so much fun! Have I said that yet?

Enjoy!! :D

* * *

Death is a dark shroud of mystery plaguing every human mind on earth. No matter how much some deny it, everyone is scared of dying. There are no definite answers to what lies beyond the grave, no absolutes. People can only use their imaginations to provide wild and fantastical ideas as to what awaits beyond the veil. Some dream of demons with gaping maws, full of sharp, blood soaked teeth. They hover in nightmares and shadows, reaching out with their skeletal claws to drag the unwilling soul to the burning depths of its home. The more fanatic think of death and see the carcasses of reanimated bodies, reaching out with rotted hands and moaning agonized cries. For them, death brings nothing but the thoughts of graves, monsters, fear, and darkness.

Others imagine a dark mist, an endless void of nothingness. They believe in the reality that despite a life time of suffering, sacrifice and grief, the only thing death holds is an abrupt end. Like the cut of a knife, any meaning is gone. There is nothing waiting, no secrets to be revealed. You die and your body is devoured by the maggots of the earth. It just all ends.

The humorous people are the ones who think there actually is something after death. They honestly believe dying means rising to the clouds to enjoy an eternity of happiness, as if they actually deserve such a thing. Pathetic. One of the most rewarding moments of my take over was when those delusional fools came face to face with the truth. They saw my armies of ghosts and cowered like a bunch of cockroaches, the crushing realization that the only thing after death is more pain.

There is no life after death, no great spirit in the sky. There's only this world and the ghost zone, the dead zone. You either cease to exist or you come back as a wandering ghost, doomed to live an eternal half life of heart break and longing. Such a fate is, in most cases, more terrifying than demons and nightmares. To wander the earth feeling nothing but sorrow, the raw ache slowly warping your soul into a mindless obsession and turning you into a sniveling creature of meaninglessness. Naturally, people shy away from such topics, and don't do well when forced to face them. People are terrified of death.

This all just works to my advantage, really. After all, most countries were sent into a quaking mess at the mere _thought_ of me and my ghost army. I became Lucifer, the Grim Reaper, Hades, and every other symbol of death in one night. They didn't know what to do with a creature so unnatural as me, a _half ghost_.

The third world countries were the easiest to take down. After a quick display of my power they all either hailed me as a God or bowed in an immediate and fearful supplication. But I couldn't just leave them at that, of course. That would lead them to think there would be no consequence for rebellion, and that just wouldn't be fair. Thus, Africa and South America are barely moving by now, and even better, the last fringing resistance in Mexico had been eradicated this morning. That meant at least seventy five percent of the world was already mine, and that was just the first three days.

Europe put up an admirably strong fight. At first I thought I'd subdued them, but a few days ago they tried to get vengeance. Needless to say, the pathetic attacks from the stronger countries was nothing short of embarrassing. They actually tried to use bullets against my army, and _bombs_. I honestly think they hurt themselves more than anything.

I couldn't let them carry on destroying themselves. After all, they're my subjects now. So I sent a swarm of ghouls to destroy them, killing and tearing everything apart in a matter of days. Europe is now a country of ruins. England, the worst part of the continent, is nothing but a wasteland. Walker has already started construction of a great prison there. I intend to put the gulags to shame.

Perhaps I should clarify how I got the Warden of the ghost zone to bow to me though. You see, I promised many of the ghosts a piece of the earth in return for loyalty and helping me keep my throne. I can plan ahead enough to realize being in charge of the earth is a big business. Thus, Poland has been turned into a miniature ghost zone, full of innocent people ripe for terrorizing and even a few portals set up for ghosts to come and go as they please. I've had scientists setting up portals all over the world, though. It makes traveling so much faster.

Anyways, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the smaller European countries are all under my control now. After my ghost swarm, they caved like tooth picks under a cinder block, so much so that I think it's safe to say most of northern and western Europe has been reduced to the ghettos of WWII. And don't even get me started on France.

However, I did save a few things. Europe is a gold mine of history, after all, and such a treasure trove of art. I couldn't let places like the Sistine Chapel or the Palace of Versailles be destroyed, now could I? I do believe the French palace would be a perfect vacation spot for Daniel and I in the future.

Other than a few places here and there, most of the world has fallen to its knees. Fighting still continues, of course. Israel seems hell bent on keeping its 'promised land' but that shouldn't take more than a few days. Russia and a few of the Middle eastern countries have tried to strike up a sort of alliance with me, which I found both amusing and endearing. On a whim I decided to agree, assuming they'd agree to my terms, of course. If they become too irritating I can always kill them later anyways. So in the end I still took over their countries, but I didn't kill as many of their civilians. I think Japan is jealous. I killed at least half of their population, see? And taking into account their very _large _population, it added up to a lot of people. Ah well. I suppose that's Ember's problem now.

The only country posing a problem is my own. I never realized how truly stubborn and even down right arrogant Americans can be. I must be squashing at least three dozen rebellions a day. They pop up in California, the Dakotas, New York, Florida, Texas, everywhere. It's getting to be rather annoying, actually. Still, I dutifully send out hundreds and hundreds of ghost battalions, each one reporting back with success. I do hope they stop eventually. Soon there won't be any Americans left.

I sighed, running a hand through wet, raven colored locks. They pulled away and I absentmindedly pulled them back, holding them still as my thoughts took over again.

Politics, politics, politics. There weren't even anymore politicians left and it was still all about politics. Hopefully, once the more hot headed people loose their fire, ruling the world won't be as tiring. I feel bad when I'm cross with Daniel, and lord knows our sex is angry enough. I paused, fingers stilling and a feral grin stretching across my face.

On second thought, maybe it's a good thing that I'm so cross in the evenings.

In all seriousness, I'm happy things are starting to fall into a steady rhythm. Now I can finally focus on things closer than the next state, such as the Fenton's. They're still missing, though I'm sure they're the ones heading the little resistance I've heard whispers about. Idiots. If I wanted to I could have them ratted out in my sleep, no matter how many anti-ghost devises they have to cloak and protect their location from me. I know they're here in Amity, and I know they're dying for a chance to attack and get their precious son back. All I have to do is wait for them to come to me, just like those foolish Guys in White. _Their_ defeat is just too embarrassing to think about.

No, the real thing I should be focusing on is the boy in front of me. I felt a gentler smile slide onto my face, pouring water down his dark tresses. Daniel squirmed, obviously uncomfortable being naked in a bathtub with me, though it's not like this is the first time we've bathed together. He was silent, staring into the soapy water with a pair of dull eyes. The smile on my face slowly fell away and I rested my hands on his body, caressing the smooth skin comfortingly and feeling him shiver.

"Are you done yet?" he finally snapped, shaking my hands away.

I smirked, "No, and the more you ask the longer I'm going to take." I said patiently, hearing him mumbled incoherent, murderous things about me.

I didn't like him staring with such blank, dull eyes. I wanted to see his fire, that spark of life he always carries with him. Lord knows I get plenty of it during our late nights, but I suppose I'm just greedy. Or maybe I don't want him to look so lifeless? What I'd give to have Daniel return a smile, or to simply relax in my arms...

"Ow! Vlad, you're hurting me!" he winced, attempting to peel away the fingers that were digging into his upper arm.

I blinked, staring down at him with an apathetic expression as I loosened my grip. I didn't mean to hurt him. I guess I just can't control myself when I'm around Daniel, though it's not like that's a surprise to me. He resumed silence when I gently caressed the bruised skin, still tense like a cornered animal.

I suppose...I didn't like his silence because it made me think about how he hates me. It's not like I blame him, of course, but I can't help but feel resentful. I took over the world for a variety of reasons, but when you get right down to it, it was all for _him. _Maddie's son. _Jack's _son. The only other hybrid in existence. He's the perfect companion for me, smart, stubborn, determined. It's only trite things that stop him from seeing things my way. He doesn't understand how so very similar we are, how _dynamic_. He will never be able to find someone to match him so perfectly. In a way I'm saving him from wasted years of searching. He'll thank me one day, when he finally understands.

For now though, I'm going to take what's mine. My patience for waiting and planning has grown thin; I rule the world now, why shouldn't I take advantage of the royalties? For all the things that have slipped through my fingers in life, Daniel won't be one of them. He's just too important. Like I said, one day he'll understand and I'll have his loyalty, his adoration. And for as long as he tries to deny me, I'll just take it from him.

"Daniel."

"Mmgh."

"I love you."

He didn't reply, staring silently at the steaming bubbles. The silence of the extravagant bathroom was only interrupted by the light lapping of water against the tub. It was a long time before Daniel replied, his voice small and tired,

"Whatever, Vlad."

Soon we drained the water and dried off. Daniel was shivering, holding a towel tightly over his shoulders. His fingertips had pruned, and a few beads of water were still sticking to his damp hair. How long had we been in the bath? The windows in the bedroom were dark, but they'd been dark when I first came in, so I wasn't sure.

No matter, I suppose. It's not like I have to be at the office in the morning. And with that liberating thought, I led Daniel back into the master bedroom, closing the door on the marble bath. He was more cooperative than usual, not shooting me murderous death glares every few seconds. Maybe he's finally accepting the fact that he'll be with me for the rest of his life? I doubt I'm that lucky though. He's probably just tired. It is late, after all, and we've been _very _busy these past ten nights.

"You're not gonna rape me tonight, are you?" he asked, voice deadpanned.

"No dear boy, I do think I'll give you a break. We have a long day tomorrow and I want you well rested." I chuckled.

Danny shot me a worried glance, fear behind the bravado in his eyes. He didn't ask what I was eluding to though. Probably because he was afraid of the answer. I'm sure he'll enjoy getting out of this room tomorrow. Then again, he hasn't even seen Amity Park with his own eyes for a week and three days. It'll probably break his heart to see that the computer news feed wasn't lying all those days ago.

I restrained the sigh in my chest as I pushed him to the bed, absentmindedly removing the towel wrapped tightly around his form. Daniel tried to scoot to the opposite end of the bed, but I just grabbed his arm and dragged him back, locking the chain back in place around his collar. He grumbled angrily and turned his back to me, turning to stone when I slid into the bed behind him and hugged him close.

Really, I didn't want to see him be so crushed, but what could I do? He needs to learn that the world isn't like a comic book, and unfortunately, he likes to learn the hard way. I don't think I'll ever be able to truly 'break' him, though. He's got too much passion for that, and I wouldn't want to do such a thing anyways. I just need him to understand his place in life now. Once he understands and accepts that he belongs to me in every sense of the word, he'll stop fighting and his life will become incredibly easier.

Danny was silent as I pressed our nude forms closer, erasing the last bit of distance between. He protested for a moment when I turned him around, facing me, but it didn't last long. He was powerless against my superior strength, especially with the specially designed collar around his neck blocking his powers.

It wasn't very similar to the one he wore on his first night here, it's purpose serving much more than just a fun restraint. All the inner micro-mechanics of the device were hidden behind an elegant, yet strong, black covering. The collar itself was seamless, only removable via intangibility. It was made just for him, holding several unique features that he wasn't even aware of.

I traced a finger along it, moving up across his jaw line and brushing over his lips. Danny's closed eyes scrunched up, and he moved his face away. I continued to watch him, his face buried between the pillow and my chest. He stayed there and didn't move. Slowly, very slowly, his breathing turned slow and even. I caressed his back and he didn't move, sound asleep.

He always looks so serene when he sleeps, no matter what's just happened. I remember when he passed out on his first night here. All the anguish that had been on his face abruptly disappeared, like a blank canvas. Just goes to show what a heavy sleeper he is, I suppose. With a yawn of my own, I settled down for the night, lying my head close to his and keeping an arm wrapped around him. Yes, I think I've been neglecting my little badger for much too long. Tomorrow, that would all change.

------------XxX

"You know, you've already taken me from my family and destroyed my innocence, the _least _you could do is let me pick out my own damn clothes."

"Language, Daniel."

The boy scowled, pulling at the collared blouse as we made our way to the dining room. My unconcealed smirk only further irritated him, balled fists giving away his emotions. He tensed when I placed a hand on the back of his shoulders, and silently, we continued down the hall.

Charcoal clouds hung from the sky, dampening the atmosphere and darkening pitless shadows. Our muffled footsteps seemed to echo as we approached a great, oaken door. Daniel gave me a cold glare when I held the door open for him, but walked in. He surveyed the long, elegant dining table for a moment before marching to the chair placed at the far end of the room.

And I let him. It was funny actually, I didn't say a word when Daniel sat in the absolute farthest chair from me. I took my own seat at the head of the table and he continually glanced in my direction, sending suspicious, almost nervous glares when he thought I wasn't looking. The chief's came out with gleaming, silver platters, silently serving breakfast and disappearing back into the kitchen. With nothing more than a small smile at Daniel, I calmly ate my breakfast, practically ignoring him while I scanned an old paper.

He stared at me for a while, as though expecting me to suddenly get up and drag him to the seat next to me. It was several long moments before he turned to his own silver dome, peeking under it as though it contained some sort of monster. I didn't bother him for the rest of the meal, leaving him to his own devices. One day, he'd join me on his own. I could wait.

However, despite the hope he was probably starting to build, I wasn't about to ignore him for the entire day. Daniel ate slowly, inspecting every bite of food with a shrewed eye before chewing slowly. I was finished before he was even halfway through his meal, watching him take slow bites with an amused smirk. Eventually, he finally glanced up at me, face instantly falling into a scowl when he saw me staring.

"What?" he said icily.

"Nothing," I sat back in my seat, "I just find your blatant mistrust comical."

"Because I have every reason to trust you, right?"

"Daniel," I began condescendingly, "How many times must I tell you, you're much too valuable to kill."

He simply scowled again, glaring at me one last time before returning to his breakfast. Though I did note he ate with less trepidation this time.

Breakfast was finished without much more conversation. Daniel cleared his plate soon enough and I watched as he sat without a goal, not knowing what to do with himself. I can't deny, it was extremely gratifying to see him so at a loss of what to do next. I stood, meeting his eye when he looked up and making a silent 'come here' sign. I probably shouldn't have enjoyed him obeying my command so much too, but I just couldn't help it. Grudgingly, he approached my side and we left the dining hall, the day finally beginning to open up.

"Do I even want to know where you're taking me now?" he asked after a long moment of silence.

"You act as though you expect me to torture you."

"Vlad, you've already _been _torturing me." he replied in a flat voice.

"Really? Judging by the amount of moans I pull from you each night, I'd say you were far from being tortured."

"S-shut up!" he scowled, blushing furiously.

He jerked away from my hand when I ruffled his hair, further widening my grin. I wasn't bothered by his anger, though some might call it insolence. Honestly, I just found Daniel's cover humorous. He'd learn his place soon enough anyways.

"If it's any consolation, I'm simply taking you to a quiet room where we can sit and talk about your future, man to man."

"Oh boy, career counseling."

"Down sound so melancholy, little badger. If you'd rather we could always return to my room..."

"On second though, career counseling sounds awesome."

I chuckled at his quick backtrack as we approached an open door, letting him enter first. The small sitting room was plain, but adequate for its simple purpose. Depending on how difficult Daniel was going to be, we wouldn't be here long. The heavy curtains were shut, blocking out the devastation of Amity Park. Daniel walked in with a surly disposition, plopping down on a Victorian style couch and looking at me expectantly.

"Well." he jerked his hand after a moment of silence, obviously not taking any of this seriously, "Start monologuing."

I raised an eyebrow, his flippant tone getting under my skin. Here I was trying to give him a friendly heads up of his future, and he didn't even care. I glared coldly, shutting the door behind me with a definite snap. I watched as Daniel's pathetic bravado started crumbling, glancing at the door behind me and slowly scooting away from my approach. The icy chill in the room was almost suffocating when I came to halt in front of him, glaring down at his tense form pressed against the arm rest.

"Don't think this is a joke, boy. I can tolerate your insolence to an extent, but do not try my patience."

He continued to glare at me, however, the defiance in his eyes unrelenting. After a few tense moments I lowered my face to his, hearing his breath hitch as he tried to move away some more.

"If you'd rather make snide, arrogant remarks," I whispered into his ear, trailing a hand up his thigh. "I could always put you on your knees and humiliate you into submission."

He wasn't breathing, paralyzed by fear.

"Do not test me."

Daniel let out a slow shaky breath when I moved away, eyes wide and devoid of rebellion. He was frozen, swallowing thickly and staring straight ahead. I looked over his trembling form with satisfaction, a smug smirk settling on my face as. Really, the boy could be a bit more gracious. I was kindly informing him of my plans for his life, rather than leaving him in the dark to guess. The least he could do is say thank you.

"On to a more productive business," I began in a light hearted tone, taking a moment to smile down at Daniel when he gave me a subdue glare, "As you can probably guess, you won't be leaving this mansion unless I give you explicit permission. As such, any attempts to escape will be dealt with harshly. You are, however, allowed to go anywhere you please within the mansion, even my lab and private study."

"Wait, why the heck would you let me into your private labs and stuff. Isn't that where all your secret plans are?" he gapped, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, but as I was going say, you will be apart of all my planning now, so there won't be any secrets between us to hide."

He was silent, staring at me with a mixture of disbelief and shock.

"...I'm...what?"

"You didn't think I was just going to let you rot in some jail for the rest of your life, did you?" I teased.

"Well, actually, after about the first couple hours here I figured I'd be rotting away in your _bed_ for the rest of my life..." he muttered. I laughed in response, unaffected by his frown.

"No, no dear boy. I may have been a bit distracted this past week, but as I said before, I have big plans for you."

"Like?" he asked warily.

"Oh come now Daniel. Idiocy is such an unattractive quality."

He glared at the insult, asking more persistent questions.

"Why would you let me in on your plans, Plasmius? I'm your enemy."

"Hmm." I hummed, smiling, "No Daniel, I don't think you are. I have no feelings of animosity towards you, and you certainly aren't a threat. Combined with the fact that you'll be living with me for the rest of your life, it makes sense to train you in the most productive fashion, yes? And I believe personal experience is the best way to learn."

"You missed more than a week of school, yes?" I suddenly changed the subject, watching Danny begin to protest. I continued before he could though. "That will be fixed within the next few days. I've hired the best teacher in the business for you, and I expect excellent grades."

"Wha-!"

"Tutoring will be directly after breakfast, lasting from eight thirty to twelve. Furthermore, you will train daily, sometimes with me, sometimes on your own. Your training sessions will begin immediately upon finishing lunch, and may last between four to six at night."

"I-"

"After training, you will report to my private study, or anywhere else I may be. You will actively contribute to my plans for the Earth or complete any missions I may have for you, though I expect we won't get to that step for a long time."

"Vlad! Wait!" Daniel jumped up, looking completely disoriented. I smiled in silence, watching him attempt to repress a panic attack.

"I-I can't-I'm not going to help you rule the world!" He said sternly, hanging on to one thing he could grasp in his jumbled head.

"Oh, I almost felt the conviction there, Daniel," I sneered, "As a matter of fact you _will _be aiding me in my plans, and trust me my boy, you're going to want to help."

"What? Why wou-"

"Because my plans are very much going to involve your family and friends."

Daniel fell silent instantly, arms falling limp at his sides as he stared at me.

"Wh...what?" I didn't reply, watching as he slowly understood what I was saying and numbly shook his head.

"I-I won't. You can't make me..." his voice fell into a horrified whisper. "I'm not going to help you plan my families deaths..."

"My boy, you're going to do that and more. You're going to make decisions that will decide the fate of countless people, determine whether or not entire cities continue to exist. I'm going to teach you how to rule with the cold, calculated logic you so despise and you will become a stronger person because of it. You will help me rule this world whether you like it or not because you don't have a choice."

Daniel's breath became harsher, head still shaking back and forth.

"I won't help you. I won't do _anything_. Not the training, not the schooling, and definitely not with your sick plans! You can't tell me how to think!"

"You think so, do you?" A smile curved my lips. I'd been hoping he would be difficult.

Daniel glared furiously at me, the defiance back in his eyes and hands balled into fists. I knew, without a doubt, if that the collar hadn't been around his neck he would have been already transformed and fighting me tooth and nail. Such emotions would have to be controlled. I let the black rings surround my middle and split apart, revealing my ghost half in seconds.

I was impressed when Daniel held his ground, despite the fear in his eyes. Even so, I lunged without warning, restraining his arms behind his back and rendering him helpless.

"Agh-let go!" he grunted, wincing when I twisted his arms.

Without a reply I sunk through the floor, taking his struggling form with me. We descended into a section of my lab filled with intricate tools and devices with purposes that went beyond his imagination. Daniel looked around frantically, still attempting to break my hold. I dragged him through another door before he could really get his bearings, shoving him into a smaller, empty room with nothing but a large glass wall. However, what ever laid behind the glass was covered by a thin metal wall, leaving him to guess its contents.

Daniel stumbled forward, quickly spinning around in a defensive stance and barely taking a moment to scan the room. However, when he noticed the emptiness, he paused, doing a double take as confusion set it.

"What are you planning?" he demanded immediately, glancing at the glass wall with a raised eyebrow before glaring at me again.

"Behind that glass is a little persuasion, my boy." Daniel paled, fists lowering as he looked fearfully to the glass again. "Something to keep you a little more complacent in the days to come."

I walked over to a panel in the wall and pressed a button, the metal sheet rising like a curtain and revealing what-or rather _who_- was inside the white room.

"It's not your family, of course, but I believe he'll do."

"K-Kwan?"

"Danny!?"

The glass was thick, strong enough to withstand everything from ghost blasts to bullets. There was a little intercom in the ceiling, however, allowing easy communication between people on each side. Needless to say, the Asian boy could hear everything we were saying just as much as we could hear him.

"You two know each other? Excellent!" I grinned. I thought he was one of the boys Daniel went to school with, but I hadn't been exactly sure.

They both turned to look at me, one with a hateful glare and the other blatant fear. Daniel's hands were pressed against the glass, the Asian boy-_Kwan_-towering over him but looking like his legs were made of jelly.

"I swear Plasmius, if you hurt him-" Daniel began with a hiss, turning to face me and hands balling into fists again.

I laughed, interrupting his sad attempt for a threat and walking up to him. He other boy coward away from me through the glass, but Daniel held his ground. I couldn't help but be further impressed by his bravery, stupid though it may be. It only further affirmed that Daniel was the only worthy companion for me.

I pushed the pointless thoughts away though, saving them for tonight and focusing back to the stand off at hand. Kwan was glancing between me and Daniel with both fear and awe, his heavy breathing audible through the speaker above. Me and Daniel stared at each other for a moment, until I calmly broke the thick silence.

"This is what happens when you defy me, Daniel." And I phased through the glass.

"NO!" He screamed, instantly throwing himself at the glass and beating his fists on it.

Kwan's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, stumbling backwards as I made my approach.

"F-Fenton? What the hell is going on!?"

"Vlad, stop! Don't you dare! Please! Just leave him alone, he's got nothing to do with this! Stop!"

I was about to kill the larger, cowering teen. I would have made it bloody, dramatic maybe, but definitely traumatizing for my young apprentice. He would have done anything I said then, would have obeyed every command. But I realized something that made me stop. He'd obey me, yes, but every time he did there'd be that hateful glint in his eyes. He'd harbor his hatred and resentment, seeing me as nothing more that a murderer. Well, more so than he does now. Still, there's a significant difference between hearing about someone commit murder and actually seeing it in person. And why would I give him such a low opinion of myself when there was a way to push it off on him?

"Please! Don't-"

"Daniel."

He stopped, breathing hard. He stared at me with wide, terrified eyes when I turned around, fists clenched so tight his knuckles were turning white. The other boy was silent as well, backed up against the wall and looking fearfully at the tense situation.

"Let's make a deal."

Daniel's face melted into confusion, lowering his arms as I approached him. I reached through the glass and pulled him through, shoving him forward. He twisted around and fell into a fighting stance again, placing himself between me and Kwan. I caught the other boy giving Daniel a bizarre look.

"I have your unique ecto-signature keyed into the rooms security shield. You can't phase out of here and you can't phase him out either." I said in a bored tone, walking toward him.

"Dude, what's he talking about?" the taller boy whispered.

Before Daniel could reply I reached out and grabbed him by his collar, yanking him forward. He stumbled into my chest and I held him there, grinning as I stared into his wide, beautiful blue eyes.

"Try and save him, Daniel. If you do, I'll let you escort him back to Amity Park personally, and if you fail, his death will be on you're hands too."

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, death!?" the other boy squeaked. We ignored him.

Danny glared at me hatefully, eyes shinning brightly with righteous fury.

"You can't just play with human lives like this, Plasmius." he forced out through gritted teeth.

"I can do what ever I want." I grinned, getting uncomfortably close to his face.

Daniel looked away, a blush already staining his cheeks. With a laugh I shoved him away, phasing his collar off as he stumbled back.

"His life is in your hands now, Daniel. Don't disappoint him."

The taller boy gave a frightful yell when ecto-fire engulfed my hands and I charged. Daniel was quick though, immediately grabbing Kwan and throwing them both to the ground. Simultaneously, he transformed into his ghost half, successfully throwing up a shield to block my next attack and making the other boy scream.

"D-Danny!? Y-you're _Phantom_!?"

"Not now, Kwan!"

Daniel grabbed Kwan's arm and flew him away from me. His eyes glowed an arctic blue and he shot several shards of ice from his palms. Easily, I avoided all the shots, weaving in and out of his attack until I was upon them again. He gasped, throwing up another shield as Kwan cowered at his feet, screaming incessantly.

Daniel was struggling under my barrage of attacks, desperately trying to hold the shield up. His teeth were clenched, face scrunched in concentration. Sweat dripped down the side of his face. Soon the strain became to much and he dropped the shield with a yell of despair, instantly throwing himself over Kwan and taking the next blow.

"Danny!" The Asian boy yelled as Phantom flew across the room.

Daniel rolled a few times but was up without rest, rushing at me as I closed in on the doomed human. He leaped into the air and fell into a crouch in front of me, instantly letting loose a stream of ecto-blasts. I simply held up a shield, taunting him with a yawn. Daniel's frown deepened. Jerking his head and yelling at the other boy, he all but pushed Kwan farther and farther away from me, using the time of the stalemate to put some distance between us.

Unfortunately, this game of keep away was starting to bore me. I dropped the shield and flew into the air as Daniel ceased the ecto-blasts, duplicating myself three times and grinning down at the cornered boys.

"He can do that!?" Kwan shouted, voice cracking.

I watched as heavy despair lurked beneath Daniel's determination, already seeing the months of self hatred he was going to endure for this. With a last malicious grin, my clones and I attacked, and from there it was all over. At first, he did a decent job evading us all, but his focus on Kwan was completely gone. Easily, I took advantage of this. While my clones distracted Daniel, I captured the other frantic boy in a restraining grip.

"Danny!" He screamed in terror, trying escape.

"No!" Daniel twisted around despairingly, immediately abandoning the fight with the clones and charging at me.

But I simply held up a glowing, deadly hand to my petrified captive, halting Daniel in his tracks. He was breathing laboriously, muscles tense. His eyes jumped between me and Kwan, hopelessness starting to sink in when he realized he wasn't going to be able to save him. I called back my clones with a triumphant smirk, the ecto-fire glowing brighter from the added power and making Daniel visibly tense.

"D-Danny! Danny, why is he doing this!? I didn't do anything! I swear! Why is he doing this!?" Kwan started sobbing and the pain became tangible in Daniel's eyes.

"Vlad, please..." He whispered, shaking his head. "Don't...don't kill him..."

"This is what happens when you disobey me, Daniel." I said sternly, speaking loudly over the sobbing boys cries. Daniel's expression was rather crushing, but I had to let him know the consequences or else he'd never learn his place.

"For every time you refuse a command, for every time even think about escape, for every time you so much as make a grade lower than an A _plus_, someone will die."

Daniel's breath was ragged, glancing between the crying boy and me as he stomached my expectations, anguish clouding his eyes.

"You belong to _me_, Daniel. The sooner you understand that the better."

"Vlad, wai-!"

It was very easy. Human's are susceptible to much more damage from an ectoblast than ghosts or half-ghosts, especially _my _ectoblasts. Danny gapped in horror when I dropped the unmoving corpse to the ground, blood splattering over everything. He was shaking like a leaf, numb shock plastered on his face. For a moment he was too horrified to do anything, just shaking, looking at the blood covering his skn and clothes and shaking.

"K...Kwan?" he mouthed, no sound coming out.

For several long moments, silent disbelief reigned. Daniel's legs failed him; he collapsed to the floor, unable to put the pieces together even as he stared at his dead friend. I couldn't let him wallow in shock for too long though. Soon enough he'd come out of it, and it was best if he was far away from the corpse when that happened.

"Come Daniel," I said in an emotionless tone, cutting into his shock and holding out a hand to him, "There's nothing more you can do."

He looked up at me as though for the first time, eyes traveling to my blood stained hands and then to his own blood stained hands. He clenched his fingers into a fist and released them, smearing the red liquid. After a long moment, he looked back at me and took my hand, the blood slipping between our fingers.

I hauled him to his feet and lead him out of the white room. His ghost half fell apart as soon as we phased into the empty viewing room, reverting him to his clean human form. He was still staring blankly at nothing, so deeply seeped in shock that he did even realize his collar was off. I placed it back around his neck anyways though, taking a moment to close up the white room before flying him up and out of the lab.

An hour later, and Daniel was still silent, even all through lunch.

I kept a close eye on him through out the entire meal. He completely ignored the steak and potatoes meal, staring at nothing. Occasionally he'd look at me, searching for something. However, I was unaffected by the murder didn't have a problem not showing it, so the remorse Daniel was probably seeking couldn't be found.

Once I was finished I got to my feet, meeting Daniel's eyes when he looked up at me.

"Come Daniel, we have much more to accomplish today."

He gave me a level, expressionless stare for a long moment, nothing in his eyes. Slowly, he scooted away from the table and followed me out, trailing behind like a silent shadow. He was struggling, that much was obvious, the death of his fellow classmate affecting him deeply. Shock was still mostly evident, disbelief. It wouldn't take long for the anger to consume him though, especially with that temper of his. But what could he do? He knew exactly the consequences should he lash out, and judging by his reaction now, he wouldn't ever dare defy me again.

"Normally," I began in a light tone, catching his attention, "You would have just spent the last few hours tutoring. However, your teacher won't arrive for a couple more days and the morning was taken up by other activities." I caught Daniel's face twitch, "Next is training, and I want you practicing your ghost powers for at least three hours a day."

As expected, he didn't give any confirmation that he heard me, but I know he did. I lead him through a few hallways, remaining on the first floor and approaching the back rooms of my mansion.

"These are the training halls, where you will be spending most of your afternoons. Each room is equipped with the latest technology, most of it my own, specifically designed for hybrids such as ourselves. The rooms on the left have your average fitness equipments: strength apparatuses, an indoor pool, a running track, those sorts of things. You may not be aware of this, but some degree of your ghost power is linked to your human strength. The more physically fit your human half is, the stronger and easier it will be to control your ghost half."

"The rooms to the right are designed for ghost powers. All the walls are fitted with state of the art shields, able to withstand every ghost attack you could think to throw at it. Different rooms test you for different types of abilities as well. For example," I pointed to a plain black door, "Behind that door is a room that used to hone your abilities in stealth. It tests the capacity for invisibility and will train you to act swiftly and decisively in combat. This door," I pointed to one with a deep red color, "Will help you build the strength of your powers, complete with computer automated sparing programs and special scales to test things such as the strength of your ectoblasts."

I lead him further down the hall, approaching a dark brown door and coming to a halt.

"Each door in this section of the training hall contains precision rooms to refine your ghostly abilities. I have every thing set at the same difficulty level and will continue to raise it as you progress. Until you are fully equated with each room, you will train under my supervision. Soon enough, you will be required to practice on your own and I will receive daily report on your progress from the very computers that test you."

Daniel was listening, a hard glare filling his eyes as he looked at me, though he remained silent.

"There is also," I continued, a dark grin starting to spread across my lips, "An automated obstacle course designed to test you in all areas of your ghost powers. Think of it as a cumulative test, but be cautioned. If you're not careful enough, you could get seriously hurt. Unlike the other, voice automated rooms, this one won't just stop when you tell it to."

Still, he hadn't said a word, watching and listening with a cool glare, eyes trained to the left. I observed him for a moment, the icy tension in his shoulders revealing his repressed anger.

"You will train every day without fail." I said sternly, eyes narrowing as though daring him to challenge me. "If at all you neglect your training _or _your studies for that matter, another lost life will be on your hands."

"_You _killed him Plasmius, not me." he hissed out through clenched teeth, voice barely above a ragged whisper.

"You failed to save him. Kwan's death is just as much your fault as it is mine. The only difference is," I bent low, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at me, "I'm strong enough to stomach it."

Daniel's fists clenched, the hate in his eyes covering the self loathing below. I gazed at him calmly, my glare falling to a light smile as I furtively grasped the knob of the brown door.

"Find a way to cope Daniel. Life's moving on with or without you."

And with a yank I threw him into the room, slamming the door shut. A lock slid into place the moment it closed, trapping him inside the automated obstacle course. By now he was probably looking around in surprised panic, the lights turning on and revealing his next challenge. I spun his collar around a finger, putting a hand in my pocket and strolling down the hall. Hopefully he wouldn't waste time trying to phase through the walls once he figured out he could use his ghost powers. There was a built in ghost shield surrounding the entire room.

The training will be good for him. He'll be able to work out all his frustrations in a healthy, productive way, and still comply with my demands. It won't take long for his anger to break loose under the pressure in there, and once it does he'll be fine. Who knows, he might even come to enjoy training.

I walked down the long hall at a languid pace, knowing Daniel would be busy for the next seventeen minutes. Once the course had run its session it would shut down and the door at the end of this extended hallway would unlock, granting him freedom. It shouldn't be too difficult of a course for him, a challenge, yes, but I'm sure he'll succeed.

I waited patiently next to the second brown door, checking my watch occasionally. It wouldn't be long now. Perhaps I'll run him through the other rooms, just to get him familiar with them. After that we can head to my study. I need to check my emails, and I'm sure he'll be grateful for the break. I have a few documents I want him to read over though, just to get his opinion.

A few minutes later, Daniel burst out of the door, stumbling and putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. I watched with an amused smile as he panted laboriously, sweat beads lining his face and cheeks flushed. He looked up at me with a glare, coughing.

"You...are a complete...psycho." He gasped, taking a deep intake of breathe.

My smile stretched into a grin, pushing off the wall and waiting for him to gain control of his lungs. Daniel gave a last hacking cough, running his fingers through his white hair and standing straight.

"Good job." I congratulated, ignoring his comment.

He glared at me, but suddenly realized he was still in his ghost half and no longer in a shielded room. I stared at him, raising an eye brow and waiting to see what he'd do next. However, either he remembered there was still a shield surrounding the castle or he was learning because after a tense moment of staring at the open hallway behind me, he tore his gaze away and stayed right where he was. I didn't say anything, only smirking triumphantly which had him simmering in anger.

For the next few hours, we ran through all the rooms. Daniel proved more than capable in every challenge, so much so that I made a mental note to raise a couple room levels. His powers were where I had predicted, good, but with plenty of room for improvement. I watched as he threw himself into challenge after challenge, slowly coming at the opposing computer program with more intense blasts and focused determination. He lost himself in the adrenaline rush, just as I had expected, Kwan's death and his own guilt proving to be the perfect motivator.

Eventually, his attacks started getting sloppy though, fatigue and exhaustion eating away at his strength. I stopped him when he started getting blasted into walls more than he was landing hits, even though he insisted on continuing.

"You have all day tomorrow, dear boy. Your teacher won't arrive till Friday."

Reluctantly, Daniel had complied, though it wasn't as though he had a choice. Still, releasing his energy so throughly was very therapeutic for him. I had a feeling he'd be addicted to this hallway soon enough. I'd returned the collar to his neck, knowing he couldn't be trusted to permanently leave it off just yet.

There was also a convenient shower and bath in the physical training area, its purpose for taking a quick shower after working up a sweat. Restraining myself, I let Daniel shower alone. If I joined him I'd never get those email checked. He ran into the shower with a gleeful shout, slamming the door shut and probably dancing under the shower head.

Once Daniel was finished with his fifteen minutes of privacy and clothed in a casual, but crisp attire, I lead him upstairs. The demeanor he carried now was considerably less stony compared to lunch, though, of course, it was still far from the pleasant, comfortable one I wished him to have.

"Where's my family?" he asked as we climbed the staircase, the permanent glare back on his face.

I rose an eye brow at the sudden question, but it wasn't unexpected. Honestly, I was more surprised that he was only just now asking this question.

"Took you long enough to ask. One would think you didn't care about them."

"I just figured you didn't know where they were at, seeing as you haven't dangled them over my head yet."

"So why are you asking now?"

"Does this mean you _don't _know where they're at?" he asked shrewdly, fishing for the truth he was sure I wouldn't give.

"No, I don't know where they're at, but that's not what I was asking."

Daniel blinked, my sudden sincerity so throwing him for a loop that he stopped.

"Wait," he said, catching up to me, "Are you lying?"

"No." I answered, completely truthful. The look on his face was rather funny.

"I don't believe you." He finally said, brows falling flat.

"Fine, don't," I shrugged, "But all you'll be doing is causing yourself unnecessary paranoia. What reason would I have for lying to you?"

He didn't answer, obviously trying to come up with an answer and unable to do so.

"Well...why would you tell me the truth?" he stuttered, deflecting my question with one of his own.

"Why wouldn't I tell you the truth?" I countered for the sheer purpose of irritating him. Daniel scowled and I continued, my voice turning serious, "I already told you, little badger, there's no use for secrets or lies between us anymore. In fact, I'm probably the only person you can be guaranteed to get the blunt and naked truth from."

Daniel gave a snort of laughter at that, disbelief dripping from his voice.

"Yeah, right."

I just shrugged carelessly again and continued on at a brisk pace.

"Believe me or don't, it makes no difference to me."

He fell into a contemplative silence, keeping up with my walk as we approached the doors to my study.

"Okay, so where do you _think_ they're at?" he finally asked..

"I suspect they're leading the Resistance in Amity Park."

"There's a resistance in Amity Park?" Daniel breathed, blossoming hope in his voice.

"For now, yes."

He was silent, probably thinking up fantastical images of his family storming my mansion and crumbling the new world order.

"Don't get you're hopes up, my boy." I turned, grinning down at him, "Do you honestly think I'd let myself get defeated by a rag-tag group of rebels?"

"That's not just any rag-tag group though, that's my parents." He said smugly.

"I can't decide if the naive belief in your family is annoying or endearing." I muttered, opening the hand carved door and letting him enter first.

Daniel ignored me, something catching his eye the moment the door opened. He walked in slowly, approaching the window with a tangible ache in his step. His first view of Amity was a desolate one, full of crumbled buildings and destroyed streets. Some fires were burning, the smoke curling up and blending in with the clouds. Fortunately, the view was far away enough that he couldn't make out the bodies that probably littered the streets. After an agonized, silent moment, he turned away from the window, pointedly putting as much distance between him and his ruined city as he could.

I walked over to my desk and pulled up my emails, shuffling through a few papers absentmindedly. He'd be alright, given some time. Daniel was too quiet though, and when I looked up I saw him staring at nothing in particular with a dark expression, eyes shadowed.

"Daniel." I called, pulling him from grim thoughts he didn't need to be thinking about. He snapped his head up in my direction, walking toward my desk with a determinedly apathetic expression.

"I have a few documents I want you to read." I smirked, holding out a large packet to him.

His face melted into exasperated irritation, giving me a flat glare and snatching the stack of papers from my out stretched hand.

"What are they?" He asked reluctantly, scrunching up his face as he skimmed over a few sheets.

"Some countries are trying to strike up alliances with me. I want you to read their proposed treaties and tell me your opinion."

"Well that's an easy one, Vlad. Give them their countries back." he said bitterly, holding the packet back out to me.

I just gave him a look and pointed to the couch he'd been tied up on so many days ago. Daniel rolled his eyes, sighing and trudging over to the furniture. I watched for a while as he spent a few minutes skimming over pages with an irritated expression, glancing at me a few times and renewing his scowls. Eventually, he settled into the papers, reading over the various treaties with a degree of concentration.

Satisfied with his focus, I poured myself a small glass of vodka and set to checking emails, not surprised to see an ungodly amount of messages in my inbox. With an annoyed sigh of my own I got to work, scanning over alerts of new rebellions, complaints from ghosts (mostly Skulker), and the questions from some scientists. The rest were just hate mail from the people of Earth praying that I died an early death. And people wonder why I have no qualms with killing them.

Scowling as I passed over another death threat and making a mental note to send a few battalions to the threatener's home town, I set to making a separate, secret account, sending the new address to only the most important of correspondents. I should have done that days ago. Many of the ghost portals I had ordered the scientists to build were finally beginning construction. Hopefully they'd be finished in a couple months and then Daniel and I could leave this place.

Scanning over a few more reports, I scratched a note to send more ghosts down south. The rebellions there were getting ridiculous. I couldn't _wait_ until the masses figured out my rule wasn't a temporary thing. Then I could finally get some type of system worked out and there wouldn't be so much pointless chaos everywhere.

We both worked in silence for a while, the sun slowly sinking lower and lower in the window. A fire orange glow was cast over the shelves, dwindling down as each minute passed. Daniel yawned quietly, and I looked up to see him struggling to stay awake. He would shake his head, pointedly keeping his eye trained on the paper and trying to loose himself in the circle of politics.

I could tell it was a fruitless effort though. He'd either start to think about things he obvious didn't want to think about or start falling asleep in exhaustion. He looked drained, physically and emotionally, and this was only the first day. I suppose the death of his friend was working particularly hard on him, though it was for the better in the long run. Perhaps, when the people of Earth accepted my rule, Daniel would too.

I watched him finally succumb to slumber, packet falling out of a limp hand and head resting on his shoulder. The stress and pain seemed to just seep out of his face, the gentle peacefulness replacing it that I wished he would have while awake. I glanced at the clock, taking note of the approaching hour. I suppose I couldn't put off calling Walker any longer. Hopefully I could make this quick. With a last, brief stare at Daniel's sleeping form, I picked up the phone and dialed.

"Walker?"

"Well well well, if it isn't _King _Plasmius." He picked up after a couple rings, his low, accented voice sounding pleased. He was obviously enjoying his rule of England.

"How goes construction?"

"My second in command has already started in your area. My new prison is supposed to break ground-"

"Don't bother. I have a better proposition for you."

"...do tell." he said slowly. Walker is the type of ghost who loves control and hates change without compensation, so I knew I'd have to make an appealing offer to get him to cooperate nicely. I had a feeling that wouldn't be too difficult, though.

"How would you like to rule a country more than twice the size of England?" I smirked.

"Go on." he said greedily, immediately hooked.

"America is being persistently annoying with all the rebellions and such. They just don't know when to quit. I intend to move to the Mediterranean Area in a couple months, and I don't want to deal with them. I want you to leave your second in command in charge of England. You can build your prison here in America and become the new President of the United States."

"...That sounds like a _very _appealing offer, Plasmius." He drawled, the satisfaction dripping from his voice.

"Excellent." I grinned, "These Americans need an iron fist to beat them down, and I believe you are just the ghost to do it."

"I have to agree with you." he laughed, a dark, low sound. "When and where do you want me to start?"

"Immediately. The south is getting particularly rambunctious, breaking practically every rule in the book."

"Well we can't have that, now can we?" he said, a dangerous edge to his voice.

"Indeed. Use my portal in the morning, it will be faster and I can give you all the locations of the most recent rebellions."

"What about Phantom? Is he heading these rebellions?"

I chuckled at his blood thirsty tone, staring at my young charge as he slept.

"You mean Daniel? No no no, he's with me. I can assure you he won't be causing anymore trouble."

Walker grunted in response, probably disappointed in missing out on exacting his revenge.

"That punk still owes me a thousand years." he grumbled.

"Consider his debt paid, Walker. I have my own plans with the boy. You just focus on the rest of America and be sure to keep them out of my hair."

He pouted on the other end, grumbling a reply of affirmation before hanging up. I rolled my eyes, placing the phone back on the receiver and organizing a few papers. The ticking of an old grandfather clock slowly erased any irritation though, soft silence stilling the air. I glanced out the window to see a darkened sky, stars just beginning to twinkle.

"Might as well go to bed." I muttered, "I'll need my sleep when trying to juggle Daniel _and _Walker tomorrow."

The boy continued to sleep peacefully, oblivious to the goings on around him. I walked up next to him with a soft smile, taking a moment to run my fingers though his hair. He looked so innocent when he slept, so vulnerable. It was times like this when putting up with the pressures of Earth was worth it. I could deal with stubborn rebellions and demanding ghosts all day if it meant I'd still have Daniel.

He mumbled something in his sleep, squirming to get comfortable in such an awkward position. I smiled, snaking an arm behind his back and under his knees, easily lifting him up. Daniel shifted again, unknowingly snuggling into my arms and laying his head against my shoulder. Now if only he acted so warmly towards me when he was awake.

Shaking my head with a quiet chuckle, I left the study and all its piles of work waiting. They could be dealt with tomorrow, for now, I had to take care of Daniel.

* * *

My God. How on earth did I manage to avoid a lemon in all of this? Don't worry guys, I intend to make up for it in full next time Danny's POV comes around. *grins maliciously* Which shouldn't be too long. Probably Chapter 6. Yup yup. I'm such a jerk to that poor kid...


	5. Chapter 5

Phew! Finally! Took me long enough!

I hope I did it justice. Enjoy.

* * *

"They still working on the portal?"

"Yep."

Sam gazed at my busy parents for a moment before falling next to me with a sigh. I glanced at her glistening face and sweaty clothes, careful not to scrunch up my nose. She needed a shower, but then again we all needed a shower.

"Training again?"

"Yep."

Silence resumed. I stared at the other refugees milling about the crowded basement. The dank, stone walls had long since become our prison, the pungent smell of blood always lingering at the edges of our scent. I wasn't sure if the blood in the streets had finally soaked through the soil or if it was the infirmary set up in the corner. Probably both. Whimsically, my eyes wandered to the pseudo-hospital we had, watching Tucker's mom change a patients bandages.

To the far right of us, Tucker was fiddling with some broken cameras my parents had found. Hopefully he'd get them fixed and a patrol unit could put them up for surveillance. I sighed and watched a couple wander around aimlessly, embodying the feeling of pointlessness hanging in the air. Or maybe it wasn't so much pointlessness as it was just endless waiting. I don't know. I was tired of analyzing things. I felt like I was just existing, waiting with nothing to do because there was nothing I could do. For all my knowledge in psychology, it turns out didn't know how to help people when they needed me. Just like I didn't know how to help Danny.

"How much longer do you think it's gonna take?" Sam asked, referring to the portal.

"I don't know."

"...why are they even building one?"

"I don't know."

Sam, being perceptive as usual, frowned sympathetically at my monotonous responses. She stopped asking questions, letting a silence hang between us before speaking up in a quiet voice.

"...we're gonna get through this, Jazz."

I just frowned, still staring out at the pointless meanderings of other refugees. I didn't see how. This Resistance was hardly a resistance. There's barely a semblance of leadership, no organization, and people don't even know what our goals are, assuming we have any. Sure, there's the universal desire to return things to normal, but it's so poisoned with revenge and personal vendettas that there's no focus. A resistance can't be a Resistance without unity.

"Have they taken a break yet?"

"Nope."

She was talking about my parents, who had taken to working on their own agenda 24/7. They'd managed to build a generator and most of a ghost portal in a little over a week and a half, but they were so focused it was like nothing else existed around them. My Dad spoke the most, grunting a few words here and there. Mom just silently cried, always that same haunted look in her eyes. When we first got here they'd been completely distraught, more confused and lost than I'd ever seen them, not that I was surprised of course...

_We stumbled into a dank and empty hotel, still hearing the dying screams of the last, lingering victims as we collapsed in exhaustion. Mom and Dad were panting heavily, injured and weak from hours of fighting faceless ghouls. I could barely catch my own breath, the adrenaline rush finally crashing down and bringing the painful reality with it. Danny was gone, and no amount of trigger-pulling was going to get him back this time._

_Mom and Dad were on their knees, faces wrought with hopeless agony. Hours of fighting and screaming had resulted in nothing but failure. Danny was farther than ever, and they were trapped with the horrible realization that their son had been kidnapped by their best friend._

_"W-why..." Mom whispered, shaking. "...M-My baby boy..." _

_Dad was breathing heavily, distraught fury encompassing his once bubbly features. _

_"That traitor." He almost hissed, clenching huge fists as tears leaked out of his eyes. "H-How could he do this to us?"_

_I knelt between them, staring desolately at the cracked floor. My mind was a foggy blank, empty and cold. I was supposed to have the answers, but my brain wasn't working. All I could see was Danny's bleeding body, the dazed, confused expression he wore before Vlad took him from us. _

_Mom started crying, though sobbing might be a more accurate description. She kept saying his name over and over, hugging herself and trembling. Dad reached an arm out and pulled her close, squeezing me between them and hugging us. I just laid against him, hearing Vlad's triumphant laugh and listening to my parents cry. _

_We remained in that position until the first few rays of sunlight peaked over the crumpled buildings. Mom and Dad had fallen into a numb silence; Dad stroking my hair mindlessly and Mom staring at nothing. I didn't want to move. Moving meant acknowledging that Danny was really gone and there was nothing we could do. It meant the world was as ruined as it had been last night and we were in for a long, hard battle. I wasn't sure if I'd be strong enough to fight in it, not without Danny._

_Eventually it was my Dad who got us moving. He gave a great sniff, deadened, blood shot eyes looking out the window of the lobby before finally standing up. His strong arm took us with him, but I slipped out from between them. Mom collapsed against him, burying her face in his chest wordlessly. He took a long, slow moment to stare at our surrounds, looking confused at how we'd gotten here. Eventually his eyes settled on me, the fringes of desperation lingering in his voice when he spoke._

_"Jazzypants..."_

_He motioned me towards him and pulled me into another tight hug, Mom putting an arm around me too. _

_"I won't loose you." He said, though it sounded more like he was convincing himself. He didn't have to add the implied 'too' to his sentence. _

_Mom kissed my forehead and pet my hair, looking at me with pleading, amethyst eyes. _

_"Jazz...you and Danny were always so close. Do...do you know anything about...I don't understand any of this..." Her voice started cracking, so I hugged her tight again, gently whispering that it was okay even though nothing was. _

_"Jazz," My Dad looked down at me, confused, "Did...did you know about Vlad?" _

_"Not before Danny..." I muttered, looking away. _

_"Danny knew!?" _

_"Jack," Mom sniffed, rubbing his shoulder, "O-Of course he knew. Remember-remember the f-fight?" _

_Mom was about to crack again, and my Dad was so lost that it was just pitiful. I let loose a long, old sigh, the heavy weight of revealing a secret that wasn't mine on my shoulders. They needed to know. I couldn't keep this from them any longer. I just wish it was Danny telling them, not me._

_"I knew about everything." _

_"W-what do you mean, sweetheart?"_

_They didn't understand._

_"I mean everything," I didn't mean to make my tone so sharp, "About Danny, Vlad, them fighting...all of it."_

_They blinked at me, confusion and shock ruling their faces. Mom snapped out of it first, shaking her head and giving a trembling laugh as if hoping this was all a joke._

_"Wait, wait, wait," she breathed, "You...knew? All along? And you didn't tell us?"_

_"It was Danny's secret. I wasn't even supposed to find out."_

_"But Vlad," Mom gaped in disbelief, "You knew all along about Vlad and you never told us? We...we left you two alone with him, _I _left _Danny _alone with him and you knew they were-were-" _

_"Jazzypants, why didn't you say anything?" Dad looked appalled, and just his tone made me feel like a guilty kid caught red handed. _

_"C-cause Vlad's n-never won before." I sniffed, throat feeling tight. "He-He was always a fruitloop and Danny always won s-so I thought he could h-handle it. And Vlad said he would tell everyone about Danny's secret if w-we ever told anyone about his. W-we...I never thought he'd go this far!" _

_I was crying, full on sobbing. Mom hugged me close, shh-ing me quietly and whispering soft words of comfort. I didn't need to look to see the ever present misery on my Dad's face. I felt guilty enough as it was anyways. He gently led me and Mom behind the lobby desk and sat us on the ground, sitting next to us and holding us close. Mom reached out and grabbed the cleanest towel from below the counter, wiping my face. I felt like such a child. _

_"Shh, it's okay Jazz. It's not your fault, sweetie. It's okay."_

_"Yeah, Jazzycakes. You just didn't know Vlad was so...None of us could have known. It's not your fault." _

_I still felt guilty no matter what they said. I knew Vlad. If I hadn't underestimated him the world would still be safe. Mom and Dad continued to try and comfort me, telling me that I couldn't have been expected to compare against such an evil mind (which was basically telling me I was a child, but I didn't care. It was true.) and that they could never blame me. I guess that made me feel a little better, though I still took responsibility for everything. Eventually I calmed down enough that I could talk again, my parents on either side of me comfortingly. _

_It didn't take a genius to know they were dying for answers. They wanted to know all about Danny and all about Vlad and why things had gotten to where they are. I knew they wouldn't ask until they were sure I was ready to talk though. I didn't bother waiting for them to ask, launching into the explanation and just wanting to get all the secrets over with. All of this was because of stupid secrets... _

_"Danny, Sam, and Tucker were hanging out in the lab the day he got his ghost powers." I began, feeling them stiffen beside me. "They told me it was a few days after you guy's had given up on the portal, and that Danny had felt bad that it hadn't worked. Sam convinced him to go into the portal, and when he did he must have touched something because it turned on and he came out half ghost." _

_"He wasn't very good with his powers when he first got them. He had to learn to control on his own and deal with all the ghosts that were escaping from the portal. I found out about his secret when that lady Spectra came to school as a councilor. Turns out she was actually a ghost. He got a little better as the months went on, but the public didn't help when they declared him public enemy number one."_

_"Danny was still a new hybrid, struggling with his powers and in need of a mentor. It's no surprise that Vlad became as big a figure in his life as he did. They met at the reunion, and when Danny refused to renounce you, Dad," I glanced at his anguished expression. "in exchange for Vlad training him, the fruitloop got a little angry. Their tense relationship only worsened as time went by, and even I don't know the extent of what Vlad did to Danny. I...I think Sam mentioned once that Vlad tried to...to clone him..." I bit my lip, knowing they wouldn't take that well. They didn't._

_"He WHAT!" _

_Dad blinked in horror before his temper snapped. He slammed his huge fists into the ground, creating twin dents._

_"He'll pay for what he's done to my family!" he growled, "He won't get away with this!" _

_"I can't believe he tried to _clone _my _son_!" Mom looked horrified. "That type of project would require months of observation and-and numerous tests!"_

_"Oh, well Vlad had our entire house bugged for the longest time. I think Danny destroyed most of the cameras though-"_

_"He BUGGED our HOUSE?" Mom shrieked. Dad even looked slightly disturbed. I'd forgotten that Vlad's usual creepiness wasn't exactly usual for everyone else._

_"Yeah, but he always did that." I shook my head, waving it away. There were a lot bigger things he did than just watch us. That was normal. Mom and Dad were floored that I was talking about it so lightly, though._

_"Vlad did a lot worse than watch us, guys. Danny kinda got used to that a long time ago." They stared at me for a few more moments before looking away, though whether in misery or guilt I don't know. "Please don't blame yourselves," I pleaded, hating to see them so upset, "Vlad's sneakier than you realize. We were _all _tricked by him."_

_"...Then why is Danny paying for it?" My Mom whispered._

_No one had an answer to that. My gaze dropped to the floor, her rhetorical question grinding against my skull. It wasn't fair. Danny did so much for us, even when know one knew or cared, and yet..._

_I coughed, clearing my throat and forcing myself to go on. Mom and Dad needed to know the whole story. I couldn't just stop now._

_"...When it finally dawned on Vlad that Danny wasn't going to join him, his motives changed slightly. He focused more on Mom and world domination, and we thought he had given up on Danny. They still fought, of course, but I thought Vlad was finally starting to see Danny as an enemy rather than a potential heir. That's why, once he managed to take over the world, we figured the first thing he'd do was kill Dad and Danny and kidnap you." I nodded to Mom, "But...he didn't...he didn't even kill Dad. Instead, he just took Danny and left the rest of us to fend for ourselves..."_

_"The only reason I can come up with why he's focused on Danny again is that he figures he _deserves _him for taking over the world or something ridiculous like that." I shook my head, so lost in thought that I forgot I was explaining everything to my parents._

_"He's always wanted Danny, but we thought he wanted Mom more. A lot of his plots circled around both of them, I guess, but why would he just give up his twenty year obsession right at the cusp of success? Does this mean he wants Danny more than Mom, or-"_

_A quiet sniffle made me stop, suddenly coming out of my pointless musings. I blinked in surprise when I remembered my parents were still here, needing a moment to get my bearings. They were close to tears again, or at least Mom was. Dad was giving the floor a thunderous glare, fists clenched so tight his knuckles were straining against the rubber of his gloves. _

_"He..." Dad was beyond words, finally taking a slow intake of breath before saying something different. "We have to get Danny out of there." _

_Mom nodded numbly against his arm, mumbling "My baby boy" over and over again. Dad pulled her close and then pulled me in to. He had a fire in his eyes, such determination in his hues that I was almost hopeful. _

_"Vlad thinks he can leave us alone and not expect us to get our son back? I'll make him pay for everything he's done, to my family and to the world. We can start a Resistance, right here in this building! We'll make him regret not killing us!"_

_"But Jack," Mom spoke up, her voice sounding just a little bit stronger, "We don't have any equipment or tools. We can't build a resistance out of hotel scraps."_

_"Then we'll go back home and get them! We can probably get what we need in one day! In and out, Vlad'll never know!"_

_"But what about the ghosts in the streets." I said, ever the voice of reason._

_"We'll just fight our way there!" He abruptly stood up, punching a fist in the air._

_"Dad, slow down-" I held out an arm, quickly scrambling to my feet. _

_"No need, Jazzypants! We're gonna get our son and take back the world, no doubt about it!" _

_"Jack, maybe we should try avoiding the ghosts rather than fighting them. We have to save our energy." Mom piped in, starting to look both excited and wary about the plan. For the most part, though, true genuine hope was clear as day in her eyes for the first time. Pure, unfounded, desperate hope. _

_"Good idea, sweet-cheeks!"_

_"And we should set up in the basement where they won't see us." I muttered, ducking low as a group of ghouls marched by. Mom quickly yanked Dad back down, but the moment the ghosts were gone Dad was bouncing around again, almost like his old self._

_"We can do it, guys." He said vehemently, eyes blazing, "We can win!"_

My Dad's overexcited bounciness lasted for a solid two days before being swallowed up by their work. We traveled back home just like he planned and grabbed all the equipment we could, but we barely made it back. The ghosts were trickier than we thought and we only avoided capture thanks to Sam. By a happen of chance, we'd run into her on the return trip and she'd thankfully distracted a battalion of ghosts to let us sneak by. Finding her and her mom is probably the best thing that's happened to us, not counting Tucker's appearance.

Other people started showing up as the days went by, but Mom and Dad haven't paid much attention to them. They've slowly slipped down into seclusion, not even pausing in their work to sleep in our hotel room. Day in, day out, it's always the same thing. The only difference between them and the listless wanderers down here is that they have a reason to go on. It's hard to tell, but you can see the motivation in their eyes, even when they cry. They have a purpose in this war. It's just too bad they can't share it with everyone else.

"This isn't working Sam." I whispered.

It'd been a nagging feeling for the past few days. At first the idea of a Resistance had sounded great, even if Mom and Dad were still torn up about Vlad and Danny. I thought, for a few glorious days, that we'd be able to build an opposition against Vlad and get Danny back. I even thought we'd have him defeated by now. After all, since when do Vlad's plans really work?

But it quickly became apparent that this was unlike anything we had expected.

I don't know why I ever thought this was just another one of Vlad's destined-to-fail plans. The worldwide invasion of that creepy ghost army should have been a hint. Or maybe the fact that he was outright killing people. I guess I just figured Danny would beat him like always, even if he had been momentarily set back on account of being kidnapped. But he's been gone for nearly two weeks now, and everything is the same. Vlad still rules the world, we're still holed up in this basement, and hope is as distant as ever.

"What? What do you mean?" she breathed, eyes wide as though I had uttered blasphemy.

"I mean this!" I muttered irritatedly, gesturing out to the dismal setting around us. "This...this Resistance thing! ...We're just...nothing is changing, you know? It's not working."

I could tell Sam knew I was right. She kept frowning at me in that I-don't-want-to-believe-you way, but her sagging shoulders betrayed the truth. Sam looked forlornly to the struggling infirmary, wandering over my busy parents and finally to Tucker's own frail, melancholy form. It was like Vlad's regime was sucking the life out of us. Or maybe that was just because he still had Danny.

"We just need a focus, that's all." She said suddenly, turning to me with blazing eyes. "We can't give up hope so soon. Danny needs us."

"Of course, we have to save Danny," I couldn't help but feel slightly offended. Did she think I meant giving up on my little brother? "I don't think we'll be able to defeat Vlad though, much less return things to normal."

The rebellious expression on Sam's face slowly died as she understood what I was saying. She looked at her surroundings again, face falling when she realized she might never be free to take a walk in the park again, or go to the Nasty Burger. Her response to this revelation was as flat and dismal as the situation,

"Oh."

We sat in silence again, though this time it was weighed down with more hopelessness. I looked around and noticed all the people whose lives were ruined by Vlad, their miserable, ancient faces. Mikey's mom, a woman I'd never met, hovered around my parents. When she had come in a few days ago, she'd been bleeding from various wounds yet refused treatment. The empty look in her eyes was like that of a corpse. She looked as though she'd stumbled in here by mistake, having been ambling through the desolate streets for days without any real purpose. It's easy to guess what happened though. Mikey's dead, and so is his dad. She has no family anymore, nothing. Now she helps the Fentons with lab work since she has a PhD in Chemistry. She still looks dead on the inside though, following through motions of the day on autopilot. I don't even know her name.

Paulina's dad is here too. He's always going out on patrol looking for food, medicine, and his daughter. He never stops moving, always working on something and always angry. He's built like a brick wall, the juggernaut you don't want to cross, and has the temperament of an angry bull. People try to avoid him, but he doesn't care. He just goes on patrol more. Paulina's not dead, at least as far as we know. They got separated when the ghosts first started attacking. But I'd seen Paulina in the school halls before. As much as I hated to say it, there wasn't much hope.

Stories like that weren't unique. Everyone has suffered at the hands of that monster; Valarie, Sam, me. We're all stretched thin, mentally, physically, and emotionally. I haven't seen a face without dark bags under the eyes in ages. People are always crying, even when they're not, they are. The misery and pain in the air is suffocating, crushing any feelings of warmth. The palpable danger makes people close in on themselves. Everyone is desperate to protect what they have left, and those of us who have nothing barely exist.

It's to a point where people aren't even believing in Danny Phantom to come and save them anymore. By now it's common knowledge that the Ghost Boy is in Plasmius' clutches, though only a few people know Danny Fenton is the Ghost Boy. I guess it doesn't matter anymore.

"We need a leader." Sam suddenly spoke up again, her face set in a determined scowl.

"We need a miracle." Tucker interjected himself into the conversation, coming up behind me and plopping himself between us. He looked towards my parents for a moment before asking the same question he's asked at least half a dozen times by now,

"So why aren't your parents leading us in the fight against Vlad?"

"I told you Tucker. They're still traumatized with the whole Vlad and Danny thing. Discovering your best friend is an evil half ghost bent on your destruction while simultaneously discovering your son is half ghost too is a bit taxing. Not to mention having your ex-best friend _kidnap _your son while the world as you know it burns to the ground."

"Yeah, but you'd think they'd be ready to bust down walls or something by now..."

"They are! They're just...a little distracted." I muttered lamely.

"So why are we still sitting here!?" Tucker flailed his arms, disgruntled face portraying is own impatience.

"Well we obviously can't storm Vlad's mansion. We'll be massacred. And with how well protected the place is, guerrilla tactics probably won't work either. That leaves us with the portal, which is probably why the Fenton's are building one." Sam replied.

"So you think they _do_ have a plan to get Danny back?"

She gave him a look.

"I bet they had a plan to get Danny back the moment he was kidnapped."

"Well would it kill them to let us in on it? The Resistance isn't much of a resistance if its leaders don't talk."

"Just give them some time," I said, hoping to calm him, "They're probably using this time to get everything that's happened organized and thought out. Silence can be very therapeutic."

"Yeah? Well it just drives me insane."

"Who says we're gonna be let in on the plans anyways?" Sam grumbled bitterly.

"Still upset that your mom won't let you go out on patrol?" I gave her a wane smile. She bit back with sarcasm.

"No. What makes you think that?"

Tucker sighed between us, bunching his knees up and resting his chin in his arms. His eyes looked sunken, but that might have been because of the meager light. The misery in his face wasn't an illusion though, and I knew what he was thinking before he even said it.

"I miss Danny."

He wasn't the only one. My brothers absence was leaving a difficult strain to deal with. We all missed him...

"What...what do you think..." Tucker swallowed thickly, eyes staring wide in unsaid fear. His sentence trailed of, but we knew what he was saying. "...Do you think-"

"He's still alive. I know he is." Sam snapped out, not even considering the alternate possibility.

"I agree with Sam." I replied after a long moment. "Danny's strong and...well as much as I hate to say it, Vlad said he has "big plans" for him, so there's no way he would just...you know...kill him."

"Big plans?" Sam repeated distastefully, "Like what?"

I shrugged, the whole topic so depressing that it was hard to stay engaged.

"He didn't say." I murmured.

"Probably turning him into his evil little apprentice." Tucker began vehemently, an angry scowl on his face. "Stupid fruitloop. Danny would never do that."

"That's what I'm worried about..." I whispered, only partially aware of Sam and Tucker's incredulous stares.

"What do you mean?" Sam gaped.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, already feeling my throat tighten up. They really didn't get it, did they?

"Think about it," I said quietly, "Vlad isn't playing games anymore. He's _killing _people now. Populations have been destroyed, cities have been leveled, millions are dead. He's not holding back on _anything_. This is it, his big, climatic evil plan. It's so intricate that we barely know what his goals are and we're supposed to know him best. We thought the first thing he'd do is kidnap my mom and kill the rest of us Fentons for getting in his way, but he _didn't_. He's focusing everything on Danny for some reason, and...and with how he's been treating the rest of the world...it's safe to assume whatever he's putting Danny through is worse. He's not going to loose this time. He'll do whatever it takes to get my brother by his side and the worst part is, he _can _do whatever it takes. There's nothing holding him back anymore..."

Sam and Tucker were silent ghosts, staring at me with a degree of horror that I'd become all too familiar with. Sam looked like her world was crashing again, Tucker like he'd just been punched in the gut. I didn't meet their wide, anguished faces, not wanting to witness the depth of pain in their eyes. Slowly, they stared back out at the lifeless people of the Resistance, staring, but not actually seeing.

"We...we have to get him out of there. ...It's already been twelve days, _two weeks _practically." Sam breathed, voice agonized.

"How?" Tucker croaked, looking up at her desperately. "You said it yourself, the only way would be the portal, but that means _he _could get in _here _too."

"Mom and Dad are building a door for the portal, a ghost proof one. We should be safe..."

"But how are we gonna navigate in the Zone? We can't just fly like Danny can, we need a speeder."

"...I don't know." I whispered, feeling useless yet again and wanting to cry for it.

We were all quiet for a long moment, each lost to our own consuming thoughts. Tucker's head was buried in his arms, silent and unmoving. Sam was glaring at the floor, her expression becoming darker and darker every minute. I barely knew what to think anymore, just wishing, _praying_, that we'd find a way to get my baby brother home soon...

"I hate this." Sam finally hissed, trying to set the floor ablaze with her glare. "I'm tired of just sitting here. I can't take-"

"Help! Somebody help, please!"

Everyone in the vicinity of Tucker's few security screens quickly snapped attention to a small grey picture. It was from a camera set up in front of the hotel entrance door, alerting us to new comers. Unfortunately, the quality of the picture wasn't too good, so the only thing we could distinguish was a person from a blob ghost.

"Great," Sam muttered under hear breathe, "More people that we don't have room for."

I gave her a reproachful frown before quickly getting up and rushing upstairs, making sure to call to Tucker's mom for a clean bed. Tucker followed, curiosity getting the better of him.

"That voice sounds familiar..." he muttered, hot on my heels.

We threw open the metal door to the basement and pounded up the stairs, hoping to get to the panicked voice fast enough. The familiar sound of somebody crying made us run faster, and we burst through the door behind the desk as fast as we could.

"Dash!?"

The filthy, soot covered blonde looked up at me and Tucker with wide eyes. He wasn't alone, accompanied by a frazzled looking father holding a bleeding, unconscious mother in his arms.

"Well what are you waiting for!? Help us!" his voice cracked, eyes pleading.

I snapped to attention, shaking my head of distracting thoughts. Tucker hesitated for barely a moment longer before quickly jumping into action and holding the door open.

"Take her down here, we've got some medical supplies." I said, leading them to the basement.

I noticed Tucker staring incredulously at a sniffling, panicked Dash as we descended the stairs, having been glancing back every few moments at our new company. Dash, someone I know who used to constantly bully my brother and his friends, didn't even seem aware of Tucker's stare, too focused on his injured mother. Not that I blame him of course.

We crossed the official threshold of the Resistance in a matter of moments, earning the stares of everyone in the basement. Most looked back to their own business though, since Dash's family wasn't someone they knew. New comer's weren't exactly a rare sight around here either. Helen had the new bed ready for Dash's mom, quickly shooing us away once we laid the bleeding blonde on the thin mattress.

It was a good thing Helen had nursing experience, because she was basically our doctor down here. Sam's mom helped too, but she didn't have any medical back ground. We needed all the help we could get, though, so no one complained.

Dash's Dad talked with Helen, telling her what happened as Dash hovered around them like a frantic puppy. Apparently she'd been injured when a house they were staying in collapsed. They'd been on their way to the Resistance and were only a few blocks away when the accident happened, but they couldn't move for several hours because ghost activity had increased. The injured woman was pale and barely breathing, her legs cut up badly and obviously broken. Several painful looking bruises littered her white skin, making her look even more frail.

"Claire! I need some antibiotics and wet rags! How long ago was she injured, Mr...?"

"Baxter. About six, maybe seven hours ago."

"Bring some stitches and tweezers too!"

"Is she gonna be okay? Is she gonna die? Are you gonna be able to fix her? How bad is-"

"Tucker!" Helen snapped distractedly, pulling on a pair of laytex gloves and mopping up the blood, "Go take him somewhere else and talk to him!"

"What? But Mo-_oom_!"

"Don't you get that tone with me young man! Claire, do we have any anesthesia left?"

"We'll take him." I grabbed both boy's arms, leading them away from the chaos. Mr. Baxter gave me a small gracious smile before turning back to his wife, and I didn't miss Helen's thankful smile too. Tucker was pouting, but he'd get over it.

"No, I wanna go back to my mom, she's hurt and I need to be there and-"

I pulled the mumbling youth back over to Sam, who had been watching us the entire time with a stony expression. Dash was still talking to himself, weakly trying to break out of my grasp and go back to his mother as I struggled to talk with glaring goth girl.

"Sam-please, I-Dash, stay still! He needs to be away from-ah-here. I need your help-"

"No."

"Sam, come on!" I groaned, not in the mood for her foul attitude. Tucker grabbed Dash's other arm when he started struggling more violently, almost grunting with the effort to hold him still.

"Sam, seriously! I know you don't like him, but we need your help!"

Her eyes narrowed, glaring at Dash like he was an infectious disease. For one infuriating moment I thought she really planned on not helping us. Sam stood up, however, stomping in front of Dash with a hint of revenge in her eyes. Me and Tucker gasped when she reeled a hand back and smacked him across the face, grabbing the collar of his torn shirt and bringing him down to her level.

"Get a hold of yourself, Baxter! Your Mom's gonna be fine!" she yelled, burning him with her eyes.

Dash shook his head and blinked, looking almost comically confused. He stared down at Sam with wide eyes, obviously surprised to see her. She didn't give him time to respond though, grabbing his arm and dragging him up and out of the basement.

"H-Hey! Where are you taking me!" he frowned, jerking his arm out of her grip as we exited the basement.

"I'm taking you to a private room where you can freak out and break down without annoying everyone else." She snapped, pushing him up to the lobby.

I just glanced at Tucker, knowing I was about to witness a classic case of misplaced aggression. The poor kid had barely arrived ten minutes ago and he and Sam were already at each others throats. With a sigh, we both followed them, hoping the fight wouldn't last too long.

"My Mom is dying down there, Manson! I think I have every right to be upset! Now quit touching me and let me go see her!"

"You're just distracting everyone with your whining. The doctor can't concentrate and neither can I, so shut up!"

"Listen Miss-no-one-understand-me, I'm not about to let my Mom die while I sit up here with you losers! You have no idea what it's like-"

Sam froze, twisting around in the empty lobby with such fire in her eyes that Dash took a step back.

"My Dad is dead, you asshole! Don't you dare feed me that "I don't know what it's like" crap! You think you're the only one whose suffered here? You have _no freaking clue_!"

Sam whirled back around, steam still coming out of her ears as she stomped off to cool down. Dash was frozen, staring after her with a mixture of guilt and surprise, mostly surprise though. He suddenly noticed me and Tucker staring, quickly readjusting his face.

"Tch. What's got her all pissed off?" he shrugged.

I, for one, was beyond able to put up with the charades of teenagers. High school reputations were the farthest thing from my concern, and judging from Tucker's tired response, he felt the same.

"Just shut up, Dash. Come on, I'll show you a room you and your Dad can stay in..."

For a moment I thought the blonde was going to argue, but he seemed to deflate a bit, glancing back at the basement door forlornly before following Tucker down a hall.

Since more and more people have started showing up, we've had to clean out some of the hotel rooms for them to stay in. It wouldn't be that bad except more people means more activity in the area. With the amount of refugees we were accumulating, the risk of getting caught by Vlad's goons was rising. Not to mention the building itself. It was still standing, but for how long? Just another thing for us to worry about, I guess.

We marched down a relatively clean hall in solemn silence. Tucker's Dad and a few of the other adults were probably in the upper floors cleaning out other halls. Their job was to make sure the rooms didn't have any dead bodies in them, something many of the 'patrons' were happy for.

"My Dad's still cleaning the other rooms, and everywhere else is full so you can stay in this hall for n-"

"Tucker!" I hissed, scowling in disappointment at his coldheartedness and pointedly pointing to his room.

"What!?" He mouthed silently, jerking a thumb in the opposite direction to my room, "Why not _your _room?"

"I'm a girl! That would be inappropriate!" I hissed, scowling. Tucker narrowed his eyes at me for a long moment, but grudgingly stomped towards his room, opting not to argue.

"You can stay with us for now." Tucker grumbled. "It's just you and your Dad, right?"

Dash nodded dully, staring at the carpet dejectedly without argument. I felt a little embarrassed about the short spat I'd just had with Tucker, not to mention ashamed since it was obvious that Dash knew we were arguing over where to put him. My conscious started eating at me, and I was just about to apologize when he suddenly looked up, confusion settled on his face.

"Hey, what about Fenton? Where is he anyways?"

Visible pain flashed over Tucker's face and I felt my own heart ache.

"...Gone." he croaked, offering no more explanation than that.

Dash's eyes widened for a moment before falling to the ground again, drowning in renewed misery. He was silent for a long while, thinking about something with sagging shoulders and a downcast face.

"Oh." he finally uttered, emptiness in his voice.

He didn't talk for a long time after that. We took him to Tucker's suite; a generic two-bed room. It was clean, only one bed having been used. Several of Tucker's technology stuff was laying out, and his PDA was charging, but other than that it was empty. Dash didn't even comment on the techno stuff, making himself right at home and moving to the unused bed on auto pilot. Me and Tucker stood in the doorway, not quite sure what to do next. Eventually, we turned to leave, figuring our job was done and hoping to get away from the awkward silence.

"Don't leave..." Dash called pathetically, half standing up as we turned.

Tucker cringed, and I gave him a reproachful look at the expression he was giving me. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back in, closing the door and sitting next to Dash without a word. He looked like he was about to crack, something we both had no trouble recognizing. I wasn't sure how long it was going to take for him to open up, though. Dash's ego has a tendency to get in the way of the things he wants. That or it was his need to uphold a reputation. But maybe he figured he didn't need to keep the facade up in this lonely little hotel room, because soon enough he finally spoke up.

"What...what happened?" he almost gasped, obviously talking about everything.

Me and Tucker were silent, wondering how best to answer that and then wondering if we could answer it at all. Dash didn't give us time though.

"One day everything is normal for this crazy ghost infested city, and the next, everyone is burning. I don't understand what happened..." He shook his head, pained eyes wide. "Why would anyone want this...?"

We sat in solemn silence for a long time, staring at the floor and twiddling our fingers. All we needed was the tell tale tick of a clock and it'd be perfect. I wasn't sure how to reply to Dash's inquiries, or again, even if I could.

"Sometimes..." I began hesitantly, "People are just...evil."

Tucker snorted.

"Or crazy."

"But what's the point? That Vlad guy's just letting us all die! How is this ruling the world? He's killing it!"

"He's a fruitloop." Tucker scowled, glaring at the wall, "A crazed up, no good, psychotic fruitloop."

Dash was quiet for a moment before speaking up again.

"You think things will ever return to normal."

"...No." I responded, elaborating when I saw Dash's heartbroken expression, "I mean, we may eventually defeat Vlad, but...thing's won't be normal again, you know?"

"...Oh. Yeah, I get ya."

We all three sighed, lost in our thoughts for a moment. Tucker was still staring moodily at the wall, Dash at the floor. I couldn't help but wonder if we would ever actually defeat Vlad. Already things seemed so hopeless, especially without-

"What about Danny Phantom?" Dash suddenly said, perking up.

I froze. Tucker's fists clenched, his body rigid.

"He's..." I began delicately, wonder why we couldn't just tell Dash the truth. It's not like he won't find out eventually anyways. "He's not..."

"He's been captured by Plasmius." Tucker said emotionlessly.

"What! How do you know?"

"Just trust me. I do."

Dash gaped at him for a moment before roughly shaking his head in disbelief.

"No way. I don't believe it, he can't be."

Tucker just scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah? Well believe it. Haven't you noticed how there hasn't been a single sighting of Phantom in two weeks? Don't you think he would have taken down Plasmius by now if he could? He's gone, Dash, _gone_."

Tucker's voice cracked, tears glistening in his eyes. For one ridiculous moment, I thought the once star quarterback was actually going to make fun of Tucker for crying. Dash only looked uncomfortable though, and he must have taken Tucker's tears as a sign that it was okay for him to cry too cause his voice started getting shaky.

"Man, _why _is this happening? Phantom's gone, my Mom is dying, our lives are destroyed...hell, even Fenton's dead now-"

"Danny is not dead!" Tucker yelled, jumping up and glaring daggers as Dash.

The blonde boy squeaked, suddenly grabbing my arm and shoving me in front of him. I sighed exasperatedly, shaking off Dash's hands and standing up.

"Tucker, calm down. He didn't know, okay?" I said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He settled his shaky gaze on me, clenching his teeth and slowly letting his fists go. I squeezed his shoulder comfortingly and felt the tension slowly leave his body, finally deflating with a guilty sigh.

"Yeah..." He breathed, "I know...Sorry Dash..."

Dash looked at him as though he were a wild animal when he sat next to him, scooting a bit closer to me. Tucker ignored him.

"So...so Fenton isn't..."

"...No." I answered when it became obvious that Tucker wasn't going to.

"Is he just missing?"

"Sorta..." I shrugged helplessly, tired of dancing around secrets and wishing I could just tell him. I wasn't sure if Tucker would like that or not, though.

"He..." I glanced at Tucker, but he didn't move, which I took as a sign that I could go on. "He was actually kidnapped by Vlad."

"Wait-huh?"

"Yeah."

"Like, Vlad Masters?" He rose an eyebrow, totally confused. I nodded.

"Why?"

"Well..." I decided on telling at least part of the truth, "Vlad's more unbalanced than you think. He...actually wants Danny as his son." I winced.

"Wow." Dash blinked, "He is crazy."

"More than you know." Tucker muttered.

"...Well at least he won't, you know, _kill _Fenton."

Me and Tucker were silent for a long moment, Dash's simple comments affecting us more than he could imagine. He didn't notice the long silence, sighing and thinking about something else.

"...Yeah..." I murmured finally, not even sure who I was talking to.

"...I'm going back downstairs to get my cameras." Tucker eventually mumbled. "Might at well do something while I'm up here."

"I'll come to!" Dash said quickly.

"What? Why?" Tucker looked appalled, "Uh, my Mom might still be busy with your Mom and you ain't gonna go distract everyone again."

"Hey, watch it Foley." The bigger kid scowled. "I'll be fine. I just don't wanna hang out in this dump alone."

I couldn't help but inwardly smirk at Dash's comment, seeing his true feelings in his words. Tucker scoffed, but didn't argue. We all trooped down stairs to get Tucker's tech, being careful not to disturb Helen. Dash's Dad looked up when we tiptoed in, leaving his wife's side to check up on Dash. We left the father and son alone, quickly grabbing Tucker's tools and leaving. Before I followed Tucker upstairs though, I couldn't help but glance back to my parents. They were working as tirelessly as ever, and I actually found myself missing them. I grabbed a couple cans of fruit from the food store and walked over to them.

"Hey Dad?" I said quietly, approaching them for the billionth time.

"What is it, Jazzypants?" He slurred, eyes trained on a bolt he was screwing in.

"...I got some food for you and Mom."

"Thank's sweetheart. Leave it on the table over there and we'll get to it in a minute."

I stood there and watched him work for a few moments, sighing when he started mumbling to himself. I set the food on the table with all the other unopened cans, heading upstairs and deciding to just go to sleep. They probably wouldn't care if I stayed with Tucker and now Dash tonight, even if it is inappropriate. I didn't wanna sleep alone anymore.

"Here sweetie. Give these to your new little friend if he starts panicking again." Tucker's mom was talking to him, petting his ragged berre and putting a few pills in his hand.

"He's not my friend, Mom."

"Oh, okay. Give them to the blonde boy then. And get some sleep. It's getting late." She kissed his forehead.

"What about you and Dad?"

"We'll be up there soon, okay?"

"Sure you will..." He muttered, stalking off.

Helen watched her son helplessly before sighing and turning back to her work. I quickly ran up to her. It felt weird not to ask permission...

"Hey, Mrs. Foley?"

"Well hello Jazz," She smiled, "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks. Do you mind if I stay with you guys tonight? We put Dash and his Dad in your room too, so it'll be a bit crowded-"

"Of course, honey, I don't mind." Then she looked over to my own parents, a sorrowful sigh escaping. "They still working on that...thing?"

"Yeah. It's a ghost portal, but there's a door on it so none can get in." I assured her when I saw the alarm on her face.

"Hmm. Well I think they need to take a break from all that nonsense." She frowned, "They still have one kid left."

I blinked at her blunt comment, wondering if I should feel a little offended. Helen had a habit of doing that though. Speaking her mind was definitely something she had no problem doing. She walked off to help the injured get to sleep and I looked back at my parents yet again, sighing.

I could tell they were exhausted, probably hungry too. I wasn't so young as to believe that they didn't care or had forgotten about me. I knew they were just distracted and trying to get Danny back. Still, I wished they would take a break to at least communicate with the other parents. Sam was right, what we needed was a leader...

"Jazz! You coming?" Tucker called, eyes pleading with me as Dash hovered beside him.

"...Yeah!" I called back, finally turning away from my parents. "I'm coming!"

How long would it take my parents to realize that Danny wasn't the only one who needed them?


	6. Chapter 6

Yay! Finally!

Hopefully I'll be able to post more junk this summer cause I'm GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL IN 13 DAYS! Then it's time for college and my parents won't be able to kick me off the computer anymore. Huzzah!

Enjoy. And forgive me for traumatizing Danny. Again.

:D

**WARNING:** This chapter gets very graphic. It has a lemon folks. Don't like, don't read.

* * *

I don't even know why I dreamed my teacher would be something of a relief from Vlad. You know, a nice break from all the insanity around me. I imagined it'd be an older woman in a tweed coat with glasses and a pencil behind her ear. Someone who had a passion for teaching young minds and encouraging the youth or some bullshit like that. Seriously, it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever imagined, considering whose in charge of appointing said educator. The only thing worse than my teacher is the fact that I have school on weekends. Although, taking into account my dismal placement test scores, it might actually be a good thing.

...okay, so it's a very good thing.

I scowled hatefully into my oatmeal, unwillingly glancing at the clock and glaring at the limited time. Ten minutes till class. Great. I passed time watching steam curls rise up from the mushy breakfast, taking the little moment I had to savor my Vlad-less silence. He was busy with Walker, working out the details of the warden's new "assignment" or something. Whatever. I don't care what he's doing as long as it's far away from me. He barely ever leaves me alone for long, though.

The steam spiraled up like little snakes, quickly dissipating in the chilly air. Oatmeal plopped into the bowl when I dripped it off the spoon, kinda sounding like Kwan when his brain splattered against the floor. I dropped globs of oatmeal into the bowl over and over again, listening to the dull splat in the silence. Seven minutes left.

_"Come along, Daniel. You've been picking at your breakfast for long enough."_

_"Where are we going?"_

_"Don't tell me you've already forgotten," He laughed, "You get to meet your new teacher today." _

Standing with a dead sigh, I made sure to push my chair in. God forbid I leave it out and Vlad notice. He might do something crazy and kill someone over it. My aching muscles twinged in pain when I moved, making me take a sharp intake of breath. Yesterday's training had been brutal. The untouched oatmeal was left to steam away on the table, looking just as pathetic as I felt in the massive room.

_"Who is it?"_

_"It's a surprise."_

_"Your surprises are never good, Vlad. Ever."_

_"That's only depending on one's perspective."_

_"...no...no I'm pretty sure they just generally suck."_

_He laughed, glancing down fondly and making me cringe._

Paintings and decorations didn't even register in my mind as I followed the same path he took me on yesterday morning. The halls were tall and silent, stretching high into shadows. I passed only one window, and that was when I glanced into a random room. This castle was like a prison in it's own right, just without the moldy walls and rusty chains.

I sighed, feet plodding on. That seemed to be a new past time of mine these days. The mansion darkened the deeper I ventured, and I couldn't help but reflect on how ridiculous it was that it took a seven minute walk to get from one place to another. And that wasn't even spanning the whole house! I guess I'd better get used to it though. It's not like that castle in Greece is gonna be any smal-

I stopped, staring wide eyed at the shadows but not seeing them.

What was I thinking? I wasn't _going _to Greece. I'd be out of here _long _before then. If I didn't escape myself then my family would get me out. Mom and Dad...they'd save me. They wouldn't leave me here...

But still I couldn't shake away the traitorous memory of the the last time they'd seen me, when I transformed into their greatest enemy... But it's silly to think they'd abandon me because of that! My parents love me. They...they wouldn't leave me here to rot just cause I'm a half ghost like Vlad. So what if it's been two weeks and I haven't heard anything from them. For all I know they could be hurt or lost or-

I clenched my teeth, refusing to finish that last sentence. My family was alive and so were my friends. There was no point in thinking they weren't. It'd just depress me even more. Ugh, this is why I hate having time to think to myself. I guess it's a good thing that Vlad keeps me so busy I barely have time to breathe.

As I got closer to the drawing room where my studies were held, I couldn't stop my expression from darkening with irritation. I could already hear my insane "teacher" talking to himself, probably about some book or new story he was writing. Leave it to Vlad to hire a nut job to teach me, and not just any nut job, but one who already hates me.

_"He's the best there is, of course, though most people don't even know his name. When he was alive he was a highly esteemed professor at a private college, and an acclaimed genius too, though even less people know about that. His teaching methods were a little unorthodox and because of that he was discredited and fired. All of his students turned out to be brilliant and cunning minds, though."_

_"A little unorthodox?"_

_"I'm sure you'll see what I mean soon enough. I told him to make teaching you his top priority, so you can be certain he'll use his most productive teaching methods. Nothing barbaric, of course, he's not going to torture you or anything like that," he laughed, "Truly, he will just be a...realistic...challenge for you Daniel, mentally and emotionally."_

_"...you hired some psycho from an asylum, didn't you?"_

_"No, no" He laughed in a way that meant he totally did._

_"Is he at least partially sane?"_

_"Danny, I assure you, he's just fine."_

_"That's not very reassuring."_

_Vlad laughed again because apparently this was all a big joke to him. _

Yeah, he was talking to himself. Why did the universe hate me so much? Vlad's bad enough but now I have to deal with yet another fruitloop? I don't care how childish it is, it's not fair! And where the hell is Clockwork in all of this? Isn't he supposed to be my guardian? With the help of my boundless anger, my mental walls built up easily, fortification against all the nut jobs I seemed to be surrounded by. Hopefully I could keep my own sanity, at least until Vlad was defeated and things went back to normal. He couldn't rule the world forever, could he?

_"I believe you two have met once before." he said with a sly grin, his sweeping arm bidding me entrance into a smallish, book filled room._

_I entered with a mistrusting and suspicious face, one that I wore a lot around Vlad. Someone was mumbling to themselves in a far corner. It only took one look at the purple coat and shaggy black hair to realize who it was._

"Danny boy! Not a moment too soon!" Ghostwriter grinned, his pointed smile malicious. "I was almost afraid I'd have to punish you for being tardy."

"More like hoping." I muttered, sliding into the lone chair at the only table in the room.

This was my first official day of class. Yesterday had been a blast, taking a placement test that determined just how stupid I really am. Vlad had been there the whole damn time too, chatting amiably with Ghostwriter as though I wasn't in the room. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but he kept talking about _me. _Oh well. At least Ghostwriter doesn't know _everything _about me and Vlad...I think.

Adding to the brilliance of the situation, my desk/table was right next to a large window, providing me with a spectacular view of the desolation outside. The fires were finally gone. Now it looked more like an abstract charcoal painting, numerous shades of black and gray mixing together into one hopeless-

WHACK!

"Ooow! What'd you do that for!" I growled angrily, rubbing my sore head.

Ghostwriter smiled innocently, swinging a ruler in his hand.

"You're already getting distracted, _little badger_, and class hasn't even started yet. I do hope you don't turn out to be a boring student."

I grit my teeth and simmered silently, knowing he was just baiting me but still struggling to keep my anger in check. He had the same pompous smirk as Vlad, looking down at me like I was his new play toy. Ghostwriter cackled at my silence, leaning over and petting my hair like a dog when it became apparent that I wasn't going to say anything.

"Looks like you have a brain after all, Danny. Good boy."

For one potentially disastrous moment, I almost lost control of the snarl burning in my throat. Luckily Ghostwriter missed my black expression, too focused on other things to care about how I felt.

"Now then!" He twisted away from the table with a flourish, his voice dropping down into business. A packet that looked mysteriously like my placement test appeared out of no where, floating into his hand, "Yesterday we learned just how much of an idiot you really are, at least as far as book smarts go. Needless to say, you need my help more than you can imagine."

"I don't need your help." I grumbled, glaring at him.

He suddenly turned around before I had a chance to blink, hitting me in the face with the ruler.

"Ow! Will you stop that!"

"Not until you learn, little Phantom." he replied pompously, obviously having the time of his life.

Seeing as I couldn't very well attack him, I was forced to grind my teeth in silence. Vlad would throw a fit if I tried to defend myself. Ghostwriter grinned down at me knowingly, eyes alight with mirth. He knew exactly how much my hands were tied.

"As I was saying before being rudely interrupted, your dismal placement scores were nothing short of embarrassing. I had actually expected a lot more from the great Danny Phantom."

"Well what the hell do you expect? I gotta put up with psychos like you everyday! It's makes studying a little diffi-OW! _Please_-_Stop_!"

"Hm," he sniffed, looking down at me, "Well at least you said please."

Oh my god, I already wanted to kill him. I wouldn't be surprised if my murderous intentions were clear as day on my face this time. I was so consumed with anger that it even took me a moment to notice the quiet. He was staring at me, surveying my expression with a contemplative look until it stretched into something sinister. The smirk curling his face told me I was nothing more than a funny joke to him, but his eyes were almost threatening. Something sinister permeated the air, and I watched with wary suspicion as he leisurely walked towards me, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

Ghostwriter moved faster than I could blink, yanking my chair away from the table and slamming his hands on both arm rests, caging me in. I stared with wide eyes, his pleasant smile successfully freaking me out. This guy might be able to out-crazy Vlad, which was saying something.

"Vlad may find your insolence amusing, but I won't tolerate it." he said, sharp teeth flashing, "You are nothing, Danny Phantom, kicked to the ground by powers you once claimed to be above. Yet still you act with the same pathetic bravado of a child's comic book protagonist. I advise you get your head out of the clouds, little Phantom. This is reality, and people aren't going to take it easy on you just because you're ignorant."

A foot collided with my chest, knocking the wind out of me and my chair to the floor. I hit my head with a grunt, stars popping. The sound of footsteps made me jump into action prematurely, though, and I tried to brace for another attack while getting my bearings. Ghostwriter, however, had already turned his attention to the books, browsing the massive shelves as though he hadn't just kicked me to the floor.

I stood there for a moment, at a loss. His back was turned. My instincts were telling me to kick his sorry ass, but I couldn't comply with that now. What was I supposed to do? With nothing more than an aggravated sigh I picked my chair up and returned to my seat, sitting quietly and still feeling my chest ache. The disappointing shame of losing a fight clung to my skin like mud, but all I could do was ignore it so that's what I tried. Barely ten seconds later he pulled out six books. Six thick books. I restrained a cringe when he dropped them on the table, the resounding thump making the legs shake. He must have seen the pain on my face because he grinned maliciously.

"Since reading and math are your worst subjects, I figured we'll start with those."

"Wait, this is all for just reading and math!"

"Oh yes. You're a very stupid boy, so I made sure to get everything we'll need."

I clenched my fists under the table, glowering at the mahogany wood in silence as he made a thick notebook and fresh pencil appear out of thin air. He pushed them forwards, picking up three of the books and throwing them at me.

"This is what you need to read," he said, slamming _Classic Literature of the Ages _in front of me, "This will teach you how to read it," I glanced down at _Analyzing the __English Language _with disdain, "And this will teach you howto read." he smirked, pushing _Basic Grammar _at me.

"I know how to read!"

"Not by my judgment you don't."

This was going to be a very long day.

Ghostwriter spent most of the time talking about literature and writing and all sorts of things I don't care about. I forced myself to pay attention though, knowing the consequences should I not. I hated it, every minute. He made me miss Lancer. It was like he purposely tried to make it difficult for me, which wouldn't be a surprise. Obviously he was still pissed about the Christmas thing that happened practically two years ago. Damn ghosts and their grudges.

"Have you ever heard of Romeo and Juliet?"

"My teacher covered that freshmen year."

"Did he? I couldn't tell. Did you actually read the play or did you just copy off your little friends the whole time?"

I was silent.

"Hmm, yes that's what I thought. Well you certainly won't have the opportunity to do such a thing in my class. Looks like you're going to have to actually study. After all, you know what will happen should you even dare to slack off, as your usual tendencies are."

That was the worst part, how Ghostwriter felt the need to rub it in my face how trapped I truly was. I hated listening to him. I hated learning from him. Even better, he had made sure to inform me that he wasn't the memorize-facts kind of teacher. He wanted me to analyze everything, break it down to its basest psychology, and make my own deductions. Thus, I had to actually understand the concepts he was teaching me and participate. Unfortunately for me, I barely understood what he was saying half the time and this was only the first class.

"The beautiful end to this tragedy speaks volumes on the human capacity to love. Love vanquished by love itself, a twisted paradox that leaves much room for contemplation. Tell me little phantom, can such love truly exist? Or perhaps they were simply young and impulsive?"

"Uh...didn't they like, commit suicide in the end or something?"

WHACK!

"What'd I do now!" I yelped, rubbing my aching skull.

"Do not add the word 'like' where it is not necessary. Your generation may think the English language has died, but I assure you, in my presence it has not."

I forced myself not to grumble under my breathe, feeling a headache coming on and glancing at the clock. An hour had passed, that was it. I still had two more hours with this nut job and I was already totally lost.

"It seems you know less about the famous tragic romance than I originally thought. Very well then, what about Hamlet? Do you even know who wrote it?"

"Er...Shakespeare?"

"Good, good, now give me a quick synopsis."

"Uuuh..."

"Do you even know what synopsis means?"

Most of the lesson continued on like that. Ghostwriter would pick out things he knew I didn't know and mock me for my ignorance, usually adding a roll of the eyes or some stuck-up scoff. I basically sat at my desk for the best part of three hours and got my lack of intelligence insulted up and down, and since I couldn't very well tune him out, I had to actually listen to it. He'd probably know if I wasn't paying attention anyways.

"I want you to read all of Shakespeare's major works by next week." He walked over the the shelf and pulled out yet another book, sliding it towards me. "He's the very foundation to English literature, so we can't exactly move on until you can fully grasp him."

"You want me to read _all _of this?" I gaped, gingerly opening the cover to _The __Complete Works of Shakespeare_.

"Along with the first three chapters in your grammar book, although I want that done by tomorrow. I can tell just by how you speak that your writing is atrocious."

"I-I can't even read a picture book in a week! This is impossible!"

My heart was sinking, the sneering grin he was giving told me he was doing this on purpose. Like that was a surprise. Ghostwriter's sharp teeth gleamed in the light as a malicious gleam came into his eyes.

"Then I guess you better get started, _little badger_."

He was serious? He wanted me to read all of this by next week? What about Vlad? What about training? I had tons of other stuff to deal with too, I didn't need this added to the pile! But if I don't read it then...

"And you'll be taking a little quiz on the grammar chapters tomorrow, so you better know the information." his grin stretched wider.

This was just crazy. I couldn't learn all of Shakespeare in one week! What does he think I am, a genius?

"Ghos-_Professor_," I corrected myself. He made it explicitly clear yesterday that I was not to refer to him as 'Ghostwriter' for some reason. I wasn't too keen on getting hit with that ruler again so I just went with it. "There's no way I can finish this entire book in a week. I-"

He interrupted me with a cold laugh, strolling through the table. I felt my heart rate start to increase, the familiar feelings of fear slide through my veins as he got closer. He came to a halt right in front of me, looking down and towering above.

"Danny, Danny, Danny," he hissed, curling grin reaching his eyes. He bent his face too close to mine and rested a hand in my hair, ignoring my wince and slight recoil, "I'm confident that you'll find the time to do as you're told. Perhaps you can even ask Vlad to read it to you while you're in bed together."

My chest emptied out, spreading to my limbs and leaving me cold. I heard Ghostwriter cackle from far away, laughing at my humiliation. I felt disgusting again, dirty, stained, marred. He...knows? A wave of bitter anger washed through me, making my throat burn with embarrassment and something else. Of _course _Ghostwriter knows about me and...Vlad...why wouldn't he? Privacy doesn't exist in my world anymore.

I wished I didn't care about his laugh, or about the cruel leer he continued to give me as he moved on with the lesson. I couldn't shake off the overpowering feeling of filth, shame crawling through my skin like bugs. I didn't complain about my homework ever again, dutifully nodding my head when he assigned two pages of math problems even though I still had no idea how to do them.

Maybe Ghostwriter's comment was a good kick back into reality. I couldn't spend all my time hating him or my situation. It didn't matter what I felt. I had to make perfect grades. Until this horrible nightmare was over, peoples lives were hinging on my ability to learn. If I didn't understand the material, I'd have to study on my own to make myself understand. If I didn't know how to work something out, I'd have to suck up my pride and ask for help, even from Vlad. Ghostwriter was definitely right about one thing, I couldn't afford to slack off, not anymore.

Towards the last hour of the lesson we covered math. Ghostwriter made sure to tell me we'd be covering more on algebraic equations tomorrow and that I might want to read over the chapter. Hint Hint. I just nodded silently, collecting my things as the lesson neared its end. He grabbed all my materials before I could move them though, leaving only _The Complete Works of Shakespeare _on the table. With a simple snap, he teleported the rest of my homework away, leaving me practically empty handed.

"What did-"

"I teleported your books and homework to Vlad's study for later. You can't very well carry all those texts around when you have other duties to preform, can you?"

I pretended not to notice the way he said 'duties to preform' with an impish grin, picking up the Shakespeare book and turning it over in my hands. Well, maybe this will be able to distract me for a little bit, or at least help me ignore Vlad. It couldn't be too bad right? It'd really help if I could believe that.

A light knock at the door made me snap my attention to the new intruder, although it wasn't like I didn't know who it was. Vlad stood in the doorway, arms crossed with that same smug look on his face. My heart sunk lower, the heavy blanket of misery dragging my shoulders down. I silently walked towards him like some beckoned pet, Ghostwriter's cackling in the background making me grimace. I wanted to go home...

"How was class, Daniel?"

"Awesome." I muttered, staring straight ahead.

Ghostwriter's laughter was slowly swallowed up by the mansion, the empty silence between me and my worst nightmare filling the void. I really hated him. That was what I kept thinking every time his foot stepped on the soft carpet. It had a nice rhythm to it, successfully making the time go a little faster and focusing all my misery on the silver haired monster beside me. It was easy to blame everything on Vlad, mainly cause everything's his fault anyways. At least most of it is.

"What do you have there?" he asked, holding a hand out expectantly. I gave him the book, hearing a sound of approval before he gave it back to me.

"He wants me to read it by next week."

"That's not too unreasonable."

"You're both insane."

Vlad chuckled lightly, ruffling my hair. My eye twitched.

"Shakespeare is a good beginning for your education, Daniel. He's the-"

"Foundation of the English language, yeah, yeah, I know." I sighed, having a strong feeling that I wasn't going to be allowed to dislike Shakespeare.

"Exactly. See? You're learning already." We approached the kitchen and he held the dinning room door open for me.

"Yipee." I grumbled, dragging my feet in.

Succulent smells emitted from the doors on the far wall, making my mouth water. I hadn't eaten much breakfast. The oatmeal kept reminding me of Kwan. Vlad took his usual seat, straightening his napkin and doing all the things stuck up people do. He didn't say anything when I sat at my usual seat: far far away from him. It was nice, admittedly. At least he gave me _some _space, though I wasn't exactly sure why.

Two human men in white cooking uniforms came out with steaming silver platters, quickly and silently setting them down in front of us. Without a word they returned to their domain, expertly avoiding all eye contact and retaining a determinedly aloof air. They were scared to death of Vlad.

I lifted up the silver dome, feeling like a traitor to my family cause I was having this great, expensive meal and they were probably starving. Lunch passed in relative silence, the food sitting like rocks in my stomach. Vlad tried to make conversation, faking this high class I'm-not-crazy voice. I wasn't being very cooperative and could tell it was annoying him, but the hell if I cared.

"Do you like your Professor so far?"

"No."

"Well perhaps when you give him a chance you'll find him more likeable."

"Doubt it."

"He isn't that bad as long as you make the effort to actually learn."

"Mhmm."

Yeah, he was getting pretty irritated.

Too soon lunch was finished and we were heading down to the training halls, probably doing nothing but strength and endurance again. That's what he started me on yesterday, taking the liberty to decide for himself. I guess it wasn't too bad. Just tiring and boring.

"Unfortunately, Walker needs to stop by again later this evening."

I cringed.

"My sentiments exactly," Vlad replied gravely, not missing my expression.

"What for? I thought he was already taken care of?" I hope I didn't sound too whiny. I just really didn't like Walker.

"As did I, but apparently the United States and Canada aren't good enough for him."

"He still wants more soldiers?"

"Mhmm. He's convinced badgering me enough will get him what he wants."

"Wonderful." I breathed, so not looking forward to another negotiation with the warden.

Yesterday, I'd received the great pleasure of being closed up in Vlad's small study with only him and Plasmius. Vlad had gotten Walker to come over to the United States and rule here rather than England. However, the nation wasn't good enough for the greedy power hungry ghost, and so Vlad threw in Canada to sweeten the deal. Then Walker tried asking Vlad permission to bring over more of his own soldiers, something that didn't go over too well with the hybrid.

"Why does he want more of his own soldiers?" I grumbled, "You're giving him plenty of your own mindless goons."

"Think about it Daniel, why would he want his own soldiers rather than mine?"

I kinda didn't want to answer cause Vlad was the one asking, but when the lengthy silence started to feel a little suffocating I grumbled out a response. He wouldn't give up till I answered anyway and if I got it wrong he might make me spend even more time with him. If that were even possible.

"Probably cause he wants to start up his own army and over throw you." I forced out grudgingly.

"Precisely," Vlad said, resting a proud hand on my shoulder and drawing me closer, "Walker is a power hungry ghost and I'm no fool to the fact that he wants my current position rather badly. It's why I split him and his little sidekick up in the first place."

"You mean Bullet?"

"Names of pawns aren't important, Daniel," Vlad waved a hand flippantly, "The real point is that Walker won't be able to overthrow me without a good following, and I don't intend on handing him the key to his success."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, Daniel," He smiled down coyly, "What am I going to do?"

I frowned, deciding I didn't want to know. The training hall was upon us and with it Vlad's attention shifted. He took me down the human exercising section, which I guess meant we'd be lifting more weights. Joy.

Without a word I walked into the locker room to change, leaving Vlad outside in the hall. He didn't follow me in, but he hasn't followed me in before so maybe this is the one place where I'd get my privacy. Ironic that it'd be a locker room. I milked my time for all it was worth, finally exiting in gym shorts and a loose shirt. He looked at me rather impatiently, glancing at his watch.

"About time. I was just about to go in and drag you out."

Note to self: Don't take so much time to change.

"So how long am I going to be doing strength training? I thought you'd be itching to teach me how to use my ghost powers by now." I asked, really not looking forward to him staring at me critically while I pathetically attempted to lift forty pounds.

"I am teaching you how to use your ghost powers, but we can't exactly start from scratch, now can we? You need to build your endurance if you want to see substantial improvement."

"But how is getting ripped going to help my ghost half?"

"The goal isn't only to build muscle, it's more to get you in shape. If your human body is at top performance then the ectoplasm can flow more smoothly in your ghost half. Why do you think you've barely improved after all these years?" He smirked condescendingly. I just scowled.

"Your human and ghost halves feed off each other. To be strong in one you have to be strong in the other."

"Sounds like a parasite."

"You could choose to think of it that way." he smirked, leading me over to the dreaded cardio machines, "But either way we're still doing strength training today."

So we did, and it sucked. Vlad, hell bent on getting me in shape, conveniently forgot that I'm a P.E. failure. My aching muscle from yesterday were streaming in agony barely fifteen minutes in, and that was just the warm up. He would have made a great physical trainer had he not been so hell bent on world domination. Vlad's enthusiasm far outmatched mine, but that might have been because my only motivation was to prevent someone else from dying. Granted, I guess there were other things that kept me moving as Vlad judged my performance. After all, I wasn't about to show any weakness in front of him, not if I couldn't help it.

I forced my arms to lift the heavy weights, pushing myself past my limit. The aching burn felt good, finally giving me a tangible pain that I could latch on to. Everything else in my upside down life may be elusive and miserable, but training was easy to get. Maybe that's why Dash always stuck with the brawn over brains thing. It's much less complicated.

I ran sets around the track, worked every muscle possible until it was shrieking in pain, and probably sweat at least ten bucket fulls. Between Vlad demanding more and my own adrenaline high, it wasn't hard to go beyond what I thought was possible for a wimp like me. At least until my exhaustion won out and I finally crashed.

"I-can't...-ngh-get it!" I grunted, using everything I had plus more to lift up the stupid armbell. Vlad was spotting me, hovering over my straining arms like a silent wraith.

"Try harder." He said simply, waiting.

I wanted to scream that I was, but I didn't have the energy. My brain felt extremely hot, and even my arms had gone numb by this point. I just flat out couldn't move. My arms finally collapsed, letting gravity bring eighty pounds of metal crashing to my face. But Vlad caught the bar before that could happen, the cold metal just barely brushing my cringing face. That's probably the one and only time I'll ever be thankful to have him around.

He looked down at me, quirking an eye brow and smirking.

"What?" I panted, finding his smirk unjust. My arms felt like lead. "I got a decent amount of reps in."

"I suppose you did." He relented, still smirking for some reason, "Twenty one isn't bad for eighty pounds."

Okay, well that was great and all but I was totally spent. I didn't respond to Vlad's comment, despite the strong feeling that he was mocking me somehow. Vlad walked around the bench I was currently passed out on, grabbing my hand and pulling me into a sitting position. Ugh, everything felt hot and sticky, in that take-off-your-clothes kind of way. But like hell was I gonna do that in front of Vlad (or anyone else for that matter). It was bad enough that I was shirtless. Although, that wasn't exactly by my choice. Vlad thought it was funny to freak me out and phase it through my body whilst spotting me for some complicated lift machine-thing. I was terrified he was going to take my shorts too, but thankfully he didn't. He just laughed, the jerk.

"What...time is it?" I breathed, taking a last deep intake of oxygen and rubbing my sore shoulders.

"Time for you to do a quick cool down and take a shower before Walker arrives."

"...Can I stay here and run through the obstacle course or something?"

"Good try," he smiled, "but no." He grabbed my hand in a surprisingly gentle hold and lifted me up.

"Ugh. Walker is so annoying." Yeah, I was flat whining by now. But I was tired and still kidnapped, so I didn't care.

"Try negotiating with him."

"No thanks, you brought that one on yourself Oh Ruler of the World."

"Hm," he hummed, looking thoroughly pleased with himself, "That still has such a nice ring to it."

"Fruitloop."

Again, he let me shower on my own. Although, I didn't miss the heavy stare at my sweaty, bare chested form as I walked into the locker room. I made sure to frown in that keep-the-hell-away-from-me kind of way, but it's not it would do anything. If that actually worked I'd probably feel less like a used doll and more like a person right now.

The locker room was cold and empty, devoid of all color except white, gray, and tan. It was a small place, but elegantly designed, I guess. Very emotionless though, and the more I thought about it the more it bugged me. That might be because I'd just been reminded of what a complete toy I am for Vlad, though. That tends to put me in a bad mood.

I took a quick shower, paranoid I was going to feel a 'mysterious' pair of hands at any given time. It didn't take long to button up my shirt and pull on some pants either. I was back out with Vlad before I wanted to be, without a choice and against my will as usual. He chose to rest his possessive hand on the back of my neck this time, leading me to the third and final cell of the day: his study. There I would remain until Vlad wanted to go to bed or I passed out. Either way I was spending _way_ too much time with Uncy Vlad.

The only thing even remotely good about the study was the homey atmosphere, oddly enough. Although, maybe 'homey' is pushing it for a description. It's the closest thing I can get to curling up on a quiet couch and relaxing, even if I am reading over boring political documents or being forced to talk to Vlad. I at least have a few moments to _breathe_. Compared to everything else, the crazy teacher, the hectic training hours, and the nighttime uh...stuff, it's my favorite part of the day. Granted, that's not really saying much, seeing as I still hate it, but I hate it less than everything else so it's something.

The one thing I can't stand, though, is when he tries to include me in his crazed up world domination plans. That's something that I'll _never _get used to.

"He should be here within the next few minutes," Vlad spoke, closing the door behind us, "I wouldn't get too comfortable."

"Please, Vlad," I scoffed, throwing a smirk back at him as I fell to the couch, "That's the last thing you have to worry about."

He just rolled his eyes, shuffling a few papers on his desk and probably checking emails or something. Strange that he can still do something so normal. If I tried to check mine it'd probably be empty. No one can get on computers anymore and exchange emails cause they're all dead. Tucker must be miserable without all the technology...

And cue depressing homesickness. A long, ancient sigh escaped as I stared at the cover of the Shakespeare book. It was a deep red, the title in an elegant gold. I missed Tucker, and Sam, and my entire family. Hell, I even missed Dash. I just wanted to go home. It was times like these that I'd even be okay with Vlad surviving, as long as I got to see my family again. I missed them _so much_...but...

Three loud knocks pounded on the study door before opening wide without invitation. My attention snapped to the door, peripheral vision catching a displeased glare on Vlad's face. Walker strode in with a confident step, missing or ignoring the look on Vlad's face from his rude entrance. I just took his arrival as the sign to open my book and pretend to be part of the decorations.

"Plasmius!" Walker greeted, booming voice attempting to sound threatening and welcoming at the same time.

"Walker." I think Vlad won.

The pasty warden looked around the study with an eager smirk, obviously looking for something specific. I felt his eyes alight on my metaphorically invisible self, mouth stretching into a cruel leer. I continued to pretend he didn't exist.

"I see you've still got that punk under lock and key."

"That's no concern of yours, Walker," Vlad frowned, thankfully taking the attention away from me. "We're here to try and dissuade your stubbornness, nothing more."

"Aw, I wouldn't call it stubbornness," he drawled, "Just good business."

Vlad remained silent, standing straight and folding his arms. After a quiet pause, he motioned Walker to one of he chairs in front of his desk, face still expressionless. Walker, looking too smug for his own good, gladly took the chair, throwing me another smirk which I returned with a dirty glare. Man, I was never going to get any homework done with this guy around...

"How do you intend to run this nation, Walker?" Vlad asked, getting straight to business. I don't think Walker detected the impatience in his voice.

"Like I do the ghost zone, of course. By the book." He sounded so proud of himself.

"Mhm. And where do you intend to construct your prison?"

"Well I figured I'd stick right in the heart of my old home," the warden grinned, "Dallas, Texas."

Vlad nodded slowly, not exactly sharing in Walker's enthusiasm.

"That's quite a distance from Canada. How do you intend to keep track of the second nation with the prison so far away?"

"Now see, that's were my soldiers come into use. They can transport the humans while I run the prison."

"Right." Vlad stared skeptically. "And my soldiers aren't good enough for you because...?"

"They don't have the passion my soldiers do." Walker's grin turned darker, eyes almost glowing at the thought of torture, "Your soldiers are mindless, they simply follow orders without adding any spice to it."

"I like it that way. It prevents mutiny."

"Maybe. But it also makes them soft."

Soft? Hardly. Vlad seemed to agree with me, scoffing at Walker's words.

"I don't think so, Warden. Just ask Daniel over there, my soldiers are anything but soft." Walker turned to glance at me, a frown on his face. I adjusted my face to glare back but Vlad started talking again and Walker turned around.

"I've heard of instances where inmates escaped in the ghost zone," he said, a grin starting to spread on his face. Walker's eyes narrowed, "You want to use your own soldiers, but they couldn't even keep a mere fourteen year old behind bars. Why should I entrust two nations to such incompetence?"

Walker simmered in silence, but Vlad wasn't done yet.

"Daniel, how would you judge the competence of Walker's soldiers based on your experience?"

I froze, reluctantly meeting the warden's glower as he slowly turned around to look at me. See, this is the kinda stuff I really hate. Maybe my options weren't too difficult to choose from (answer Vlad or don't answer Vlad), but answering him would be furthering his evil plot which is something I wasn't comfortable with. However, there were a lot of things I wasn't comfortable with in this place so all things considered, it didn't weigh too heavily on my conscience. Besides, the bigger of two evils liked to rape me on a nightly basis, so it was in my best interests to get on his good side when I could.

"Mediocre at best. Once you knock their glowy stick things away there's nothing to 'em, and if they get ambushed they're even more pathetic."

Walker's glare was blazing, obviously wishing every painful death upon my soul. I might be scared if I wasn't so sure Vlad would rip him to pieces if he tried to lay a hand on me. And no, that's not a good thing.

"Walker?" Vlad called, leaning over slightly and smirking at the glowering ghost. I remained expressionless, staring at Walker until he turned back around. Walker's prison or here, either way it's not like I was in a better spot.

"That's completely different." he forced out. "He's got powers humans don't have. And how was I supposed to know halfas can pass though things in the ghost zone?"

"Sounds like you just didn't do enough research on the subject. Judging by Daniel's assessment, one doesn't even necessarily need ghost powers to take down your soldiers. So how can I trust you to be prepared for a fight in my realm?"

"Are you questioning my capabilities, Plasmius?"

"Certainly not. Merely your ability to properly house and control criminals."

Walker's fists clenched, and his anger started getting the best of him.

"Well unless some other teenage _freak_ comes around, I'll be able to handle those two nations just fine."

"Watch yourself, Warden." Vlad glared, mocking humor gone and a dangerous fire in his eyes.

Walker silenced, jaw set and posture tense. He seemed to realize he'd just stepped on one of Vlad buttons, the insulting-his-property one. Doesn't that make me feel special. For a long moment they seemed to be at a stalemate, Walker silently attempting to step away from the crossed line and Vlad waiting for a reason to pound his face into the ground. I'd be touched if Vlad's over protectiveness wasn't creepy and completely unwanted.

"My soldiers," he began slowly, making sure to keep his voice calm in an effort to keep the peace, "Will be more useful to me. They already follow my every command, and since I won't have to adjust to them I can begin clean up immediately."

Ha. Yeah he was so dead now. That was a _brilliant_ thing to say.

"Your reasoning is just as weak as it was yesterday and this morning." Vlad scowled, glare only hardening, "The only thing your soldiers have to add is a level of cruelty that I don't want. The problem of transporting the humans can easily be fixed by making your prison more centralized, if you even want to _make_ that a problem. I can assure you, my soldiers would be better at handling prisoners over great distances anyways. They have no bias against humans like your soldiers do, and as such they wouldn't slip up and let one escape in an ostentatious show of cruelty. As for your 'they already follow my every command' comment, you might as well have tied the noose yourself. Do you think I'm an idiot, Walker?"

The warden was glaring daggers at Vlad, who was practically burning a hole through his undead skull in retaliation. Admittedly, I couldn't help but smirk at Walker from behind my book. He's such a moron. It was obvious even to me that Vlad had him beat the moment he stepped into the room. Now all that was left was seeing how he handled said defeat. I had a feeling it wouldn't be pretty.

"They're _my_ soldiers, _Plasmius_," Walker spat, dropping the friendly act, "I can employ them for my own use if I want."

"And this is _my _territory, Walker, which means you go by my rules. Now stop avoiding my question, do you honestly think I don't know what you're planning?"

Walker twitched, fists clenching on the arm rests of the chairs. He didn't say a word, glaring straight ahead.

"I'll take your cowardly silence as a yes, which means we can both speak openly about your foolish plans to raise up your own army in the pathetic hope to usurp me from my position." Vlad walked through his desk, eyes burning with murder. I could have sworn I saw Walker scoot back just a little bit in his chair.

"I've worked hard to get where I am today so don't even think I'm going to let someone like you take it from me. You're pathetic, Walker. How you can manage the ghost zone is beyond me. I'm actually doubting your ability to handle this country alone."

Walker growled threateningly.

"You should have been grateful when I gave you Canada, and lucky that I'm still letting you keep the United States. You will use the soldiers I give you, nothing more. Any communication to your second-in-command in England will go through me first. And I expect weekly reports from you. Failure to do so will result in consequences you do not wish to incur. Do I make myself clear?"

Walker remained silent, seething with barely restrained anger. I felt my muscles slowly tense, automatically preparing for a fight. Vlad looked too calm and relaxed, but I could see the cool readiness in his eyes. It was all a trap, and one that Walker fell for completely.

"You only got to this position cause ghosts like me helped you get here." he hissed.

"Oh, you are sadly mistaken," Vlad glared, his tone black, "I simply employ ghosts like yourselves for a little extra help. And Walker," he smirked condescendingly, getting in the warden's face, "Contrary to your belief, you are _very_ expendable."

The warden let out a roar and jumped forward, hands reaching out to Vlad's neck. Adrenaline exploded through my system, leading me halfway out of my seat in alarm. But Vlad moved in one fluid movement, like water almost, sidestepping Walkers attack and grabbing him by the back of his shirt. Like a wet rag, he flung the surprised ghost across the room. His back hit the heavy doors with a crack and by the time he was on his feet Vlad Plasmius was already above him with ecto-flaming fists.

The 'fight' lasted all of seven minutes, and it was more Vlad beating the crap out of Walker than anything else. The warden was nothing without his goons behind him, that much was certain. Not to mention it only took about three good hits for him to loose his confidence. Vlad was right, this guy was pathetic. Walker resorted to desperately defending himself, only holding back about a third of Vlad's attacks. In moments the larger ghost was down for the count, bleeding bright green ectoplasm all over the carpet and burning with humiliation.

Vlad paused to look at the fallen ghost, something close to disappointment in his eyes. Still burning with controlled rage, he calmly walked towards him, reaching down and grabbing his white skull,

"I said," Vlad began, "Do I make myself clear?"

"...Yes." Walker hissed, eyes averted.

Vlad dropped him like a dead animal, looking scornfully at his beaten form.

"Good. Now get out."

Walker shakily got to his feet, struggling to support his bruised body and ego. Vlad reverted to his human form and turned away from the ghost, further insulting him. Walker's eyes narrowed with hate, but he did nothing, trying to limp away. He was halfway out the door when Vlad called him back, pure sadistic enjoyment in his voice,

"Oh, and Walker?" The warden stopped with a jerk, slowly turning his face around.

"It's _King _Plasmius."

If possible, his green eyes burned with more hatred. He looked one last time at me and Vlad, and then tried to stomp away. With his limp, it looked more like an awkward version of the chicken dance though. I remained tense until not even his shuffling feet could be heard anymore, leaving an empty silence in the study.

Slowly, my racing heart returned to its normal beat. I felt the tension seep out of my body, relaxing back into a tired stance. I didn't even realized my fists had been clenched. The room was still quiet, so I glanced over at Vlad to check if he was still there. I wouldn't put it past him to teleport out so he could continue beating on Walker. He was still staring out the door though, unmoving and obviously thinking about something.

"We haven't seen that last of him." he grumbled, looking irritated.

With an aggravated sigh he returned to his desk, mumbling something and scratching a note on some paper. I watched him, not quite sure what to do now that all the excitement had died down. How could he continue on as though he hadn't just beat someone to practically a pulp, even if it is the warden of the ghost zone?

"Don't you have homework to do?" he asked calmly, face not leaving the screen of his computer.

Scowling, I sat back down on the couch and grabbed the stupid Shakespeare book. Whatever. I guess it didn't matter. Heartlessness seems to come by the bottle with Vlad Masters anyways.

For the next god knows how long, I struggled to understand Elizabethan language. It was boring and made my brain hurt. I found the rest of my homework though, eventually giving up on Shakespeare and remembering the grammar chapters I had to read. Luckily, they were short and fairly easy to understand. Ghostwriter must have done that on accident. I took a few notes, remembering what Sam once told me. She said people remember things better when they write them down, and I really needed to remember this stuff for the quiz tomorrow, so I wrote it down a few times.

Vlad was typing away on his computer, occasionally looking through a few documents and what not. He called some people too, but his tone was too quiet for me to make out anything of relevance. Although I did catch the word 'portal' a few times.

The sun started sinking when I felt relatively confident about the grammar quiz tomorrow. It was a weird feeling, being ready for a test. I still felt like I was doing something wrong though because it was a test for the enemy. I attempted to read over the math chapter, but gave up after the first ten words and went back to Shakespeare. That didn't last too long either, and I ended up playing homework tag with the two subjects. It wasn't fun. Unfortunately, I was so distracted by my inability to figure out the subjects that I didn't notice my stalker looming behind me.

"Oh come now Daniel, surely math isn't this difficult."

"Yah!" I jumped ten feet in the air, almost falling off the couch as I whipped my head around to yell at Vlad. "Don't _do _that!"

He rose an eyebrow, not bothering to walk around the couch and instead simply walking through it. I scowled when he sat right next to me, leaning away from him. He must have missed the hint though, because he laid his arm along the back of the couch and looked down at my homework thoughtfully.

"What are you having trouble with?"

"Nothing. I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Oh? Then do number 23 for me."

"Well, actually I was just about to read that Shakespeare book, so..."

"Do the problem, Danny."

I glared at him.

"You can't, can you."

"Shut up, Vlad."

He sat back with that calm, almost amused smile, waiting for me to cave and ask for his help. I refused to give in though, and expertly changed the subject.

"So. Walker. You sure kicked his butt."

"Subtlety isn't one of your specialties, is it boy?"

"Like you're one to talk."

"Daniel," Vlad rolled his eyes, "We can continue to exchange pointless banter for the rest of the evening or you can rise above your pride and ask for help. It shouldn't be a difficult decision, all things considered."

I opened my mouth to come back with a retort, but stopped. He had a point, foul as though he may be. I've learned that math is a build on what you know kind of subject, and I had the feeling that Ghostwriter wouldn't slow down even if I got behind in the work. Besides, it was suck up my pride or watch someone die. Like Vlad said, not a difficult decision.

"I...I'm having trouble with this one." I muttered grudgingly, pointing to the page.

"Daniel, that's the first problem."

"I know."

He sighed, though it wasn't hard to catch the pleased undertones. He's probably wanted to help me with something as normal as homework for ages, which is weird. I'd like to go on and say he was an impossible teacher and no help at all, but irony enjoys kicking me in the face. Not to mention being annoyingly cliché. Granted, at first he was a little stiff and cold, obviously still peeved about Walker. But the more time we spent going over the work the more he visibly relaxed. Vlad was patient and even encouraging in a way. He didn't just tell me the answer and leave me hanging on the next problem, he waited until I figured it out for myself and then moved on at my pace. I hated it.

"What about this one?" he pointed, hand reaching over mine and getting dangerously close. As if he wasn't close enough already.

"Um...subtract the five and two, aaand...move the exponent to the bottom?"

"Precisely," He smiled, "Good job."

I didn't say anything in response.

Vlad helped with every single problem, or at least sat next to me the entire time I worked them out. The clock was approaching my old curfew as I finally finished up the last of the equations. I'd never say it out loud, but math was insanely easier when I had someone right next to me for help.

Muscles sore and achy from training and sitting for the past few hours begged for movement. I closed the rest of my books and piled them neatly on the little coffee table, feeling unusually accomplished. It didn't last long though. I knew what was coming next. Something cracked when I stretched, arms reaching high to the ceiling. I sighed at the released pressure, still on high alert. And there is was, the sneaking silence, that blank pause of 'what now?' I glanced at the clock again, the dread beginning to pull in my stomach as the count down started. It was time for bed.

"Well," I sighed, forcing a smile and trying to subtly scoot away from Vlad. "It sure is late. Guess it's time to get some sleep."

At first he looked as though he hadn't heard me, but then his head slowly turned and an evil little smile shadowed his features. However, I was surprised when he responded with a rather nonthreatening response.

"Of course." Vlad got to his feet, grabbing my hand and pulling me up with him.

My heart started to pump a little faster when he pulled me along, heading for the hallway. The study doors closed with a quiet snap, the pressing silence of the large mansion suffocating. My head seemed to be moving a mile a minute. We were going to his room. Our room. That room. I could feel the bones shaking in my legs as we got closer, wanting to pull away and run, to save myself from him. But I couldn't.

I wasn't _allowed_.

Vlad all but dragged me into his room, oblivious to the fear on my face. Or at least I thought he was. He let go of my hand when the door closed behind us, shutting us in his shadowed room. Vlad casually walked to a dresser, shifting through the top drawer for a moment before glancing at me and doing a double take, confusion on his face.

"Daniel?" he said slowly, raising an eyebrow, "You don't have to stand their looking petrified. I'm not going to hurt you."

And like that the weird cacophony in my head seemed to disappear.

There was a calm silence in the room, a _normal_ silence. Vlad was just getting ready for bed, as I should be ...Was I being paranoid? Maybe I was overreacting. It's not like he was laughing maniacally and ripping off my clothes with some sadistic psycho grin on his face. He was simply getting ready for bed. And still quite normally too. Maybe my fear was just from an over active imagination.

But still, over active imagination or not I wasn't too excited about being in the same bed with started unbuttoning his blouse, looking lost in thought and not paying the slightest bit of attention to me. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, scooting a few steps farther from him before attempting to pull my shirt over my head. Oh, but silly me forgot that I don't get to wear t-shirts anymore, and pulling a button up blouse over ones head doesn't exactly work.

Jeez, I'm always so freaking _scatterbrained _around this time of the day.

"Need a little help?" A low voice chuckled.

"No." I replied stubbornly, my world still blinded by white cloth.

Vlad was probably watching and holding back hysterics as I fought with the stupid shirt, trying to find the hem of the material and yank it back over my head. It was embarrassing, but my stubborn pride wouldn't relent. Eventually Vlad took pity on me though (that or he got tired of watching me get thwarted by a shirt) and grabbed my flailing arms in a gentle grip.

"Come here Daniel," he said, sounding amused.

He led me somewhere and I felt him sit down, hands still on my arms. Vlad untangled me in a matter of seconds, pulling the shirt down and brushing out the non existent wrinkles.

"There, see? All you needed was a little help." He said smartly, taking the liberty to unbutton the shirt for me. Because apparently I was incapable of doing it myself.

He slipped the light material off my shoulders, fluidly moving down to my pants and taking care of them too. I didn't say a word, standing there and wishing I could go somewhere else. Vlad stripped me down until I was left in nothing but my boxers, pulling me forward until I was straddling his lap on the bed.

He was almost as bare as me, clothed in nothing but boxers and pants. I felt his warm weight beneath me and restrained a cringe, saving that for when he started kissing my neck. Which, of course, happened soon after.

"...Vlad." I squirmed, feeling his soft lips feather across my shoulders.

"Mmm?" he responded, moving up and trailing a wet tongue around my ear.

"Uuuuh...d-do we haffta-engh-do this?" I winced, hands involuntarily grabbing his forearms when I felt teeth.

He didn't reply, coming up and kissing me softly. I didn't fight back, hoping if I behaved enough he wouldn't go beyond heavy petting. I wasn't too hopeful though. Vlad ran a hand up my back and I could feel the rough callouses on his palm. He cupped my neck, holding me against him like I was going to break. It was a little weird cause usually he just grabs me by the arm and throws me against the nearest bed/floor/desk/random hard surface, but I've noticed this gentle thing is something new he's been trying out recently. Not that I'm complaining, of course. If I'm going to be violated I'd rather be violated without the screaming pain. It just makes it a bit harder to...well...hate it.

A whimpering moan escaped my throat when he gently bit my bottom lip, teasing the flesh with his tongue in ways that had me not thinking straight. At all. Vlad caressed my face, fulling pressing me against him and hugging me close. I felt that usual haze start up, that overpowering warmth begin in my brain and about three inches below my navel. This couldn't continue.

"Vlad..." I mumbled, feeling his fingers run through my hair. "Vlad, please, don't...don't star-"

"What's the matter Danny?" he asked gently, such honest curiosity in his voice that it struck me dumb.

I didn't have time to respond though, as he decided our position was no longer comfortable. He laid me down, lowering himself beside me and landing light kisses on my lips. I felt his hands moving softly over my body and squirmed, though I wasn't sure if I was squirming away from him to towards him.

"W-what do you m-mean?" I breathed, struggling to refocus on the conversation.

"I'm not hurting you," He murmured, holding me like I was the most important thing in his life, "So why not let yourself go?"

I gasped when he started swirling a tongue around a nipple. I tried to push him away, but it was a pointless effort. He whispered soft words into my ear, making goosebumps erupt. Vlad slid my boxers down and threw them to the floor, soon getting rid of his own. A pained moan escaped me when he pressed our bodies together. It was so _warm_. My legs tangled with his. He leaned over, kissing me deeply and alighting a very wrong fire. I whimpered into the kiss, hating myself as my cock began to hardened.

"Relax Danny," He breathed, beyond too close. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Vlad did more things to me. He made me moan and whimper and make all kinds of sounds that I never dreamed I'd be uttering. This is what always happens. Vlad tries to seduce me (usually succeeding) and I make vain attempts to fight back. I promised myself I'd never sink to the level I did the first night here, though. I wouldn't beg and plead for him like that, not ever again. But it was so hard to be disgusted when the things he did felt so _good_. Was I no better than some dog in heat? Incapable of controlling myself when forty year old men touched me? Maybe _that _was the true disgusting part.

"You know what the best part about our relationship is, Danny?" he said quietly, a type of controlled eagerness in his voice.

"We're not...in a...relatio..." My words trailed off pathetically but that was okay because Vlad interrupted me anyways.

"It's the unique things we can do." He moved so furtively I didn't catch it until he had already straddled me.

"Uh...unique things?" I mumbled, more as a distraction. I could feel my flushed face burning at the new position.

Vlad shifted and then out of no where grabbed my member. I gasped loudly, muscles seizing and eyes squeezing shut, totally forgetting what he was saying. The sick combination of rushing fire and creeping bugs spread from my navel, making my stomach twist. Vlad moved his hand tortuously slow. I couldn't decide if he was rubbing in the fact that he was feeling me up or if he was trying to tease me. Probably both. Either way I was left struggling to keep my moans to a minimum, determined to hate what he was doing to me. It certainly wasn't hard to hate it after the fact, so why did it have to be so freaking difficult now?

I think I felt something in the air shift. The temperature dropped just a little bit, and I might have seen a flash of something from behind my squeezed eyes, but I couldn't be sure. I was a little distracted. Vlad increased his pace, making stars pop in my blind vision. My back arched off the bed slightly, hands fisting the sheets below me. God, why couldn't he just leave me alone?

"Enjoying yourself?" Several amused voices suddenly said in unison. Wait. _Several?_

"YAAAH!" I screamed, so not expecting that and jumping ten feet in the air.

My heart was hammering in my chest. Vlad stilled and then removed his hand (thank god) leaving me to stare wide eyed and undistracted at the sight of two-no _three_!-Plasmius' before me.

"What's the matter Daniel?" One asked. My head snapped to its direction.

"You look as though you've seen a ghost." Another one laughed, quickly making me do a 180.

"Uh..." I swallowed thickly, my breath entirely too shallow. "Vlad?"

"Yes?" they all replied.

Oooh, this could not end well at all.

"A-heh, heh," I swallowed again, pulling at the collar around my neck and forcing a smile. "Uh...wha...what are you doing?"

"Helping you let go." A clone said to the immediate right of me. I spun around to look at him so fast my neck cracked.

"You've been so tense lately," The real Vlad grinned, pitless red eyes burning with an impish gleam. "We just want to help you relax, little badger."

"Uh..." I glanced nervously to the other clones as they alighted to the bed, their added weight making me sink towards them.

I can tell you this right now: You've never seen an intimidating sight until you've had three fully grown, naked men crawl towards you with insane grins and groping hands. Seriously.

"Are you scared, Daniel?" One asked, reaching out and caressing my arm.

"No." I whispered, pulling away. Okay, so I was lying through my teeth, but I think I had every right to be scared. Lord knows one Vlad is bad enough, but _three_? To say I was in for one hell of a night would be an understatement.

Suddenly, two pairs of hands gripped my shoulders, stopping me from scooting out of reach. I gasped and looked over my shoulder, coming face to face with a vampiric leer.

"Shhh," he said quietly, kissing the back of my ear and remaining skillfully oblivious to my uncomfortable cringe. "It's okay, Daniel..."

He moved slowly, settling me between his legs and wrapping two powerful arms around my torso. I tensed, but he only massaged and teased my chest, heat increasing when he played with the sensitive buds. Someone was crawling towards me. Blearily, I looked around, trying to see what the clone was doing. But I felt rather than saw him when two hands started creeping up my legs.

I gasped, and Vlad grabbed my limbs in a gentle grip before I could move them away. His creeping fingers reached closer and closer, rubbing circles up my thigh while the other Vlad continued to play with my chest. They were whispering hot words in my ears, making me whimper and squirm. I couldn't focus on anything but the pulsating heat, need twitching in my arousal. Those creeping fingers inched dangerously close, pulling me in. Vlad cupped my arousal and I did a little more than gasp, a cry of wanton desire escaping.

"That's it, Daniel..." They both whispered, rubbing my hard member and touching me everywhere.

My eyes were rolling around in my head. I was sure the Vlad behind me could hear my racing heart, but I couldn't help it. I was surprised at how different everything felt with just the added presence of a couple people, even if technically it was the same person.

But the last thing I was doing was contemplating the definition of foursomes. I was way to busy getting turned to goo to think of anything but the waves of pleasure rushing through me, which was horribly horribly wrong.

"V-Vlad." I forced out through gritted teeth, the fear painfully obvious in my voice. My brain was starting to overload, the combined ministrations of two sets of lips and hands throwing my senses for a loop.

"Vlad-S-sto-"

But before I could finish my shaky request a third set of lips enveloped my own, and there was no protesting after that. I groaned heavily, body becoming a puppet for the three Vlad's to move at their leisure.

They slowly dragged my body across the comforter, all those hands caressing and touching me as I was half sprawled across their laps. I was scared, waiting for those hands to turn bruising, but I could barely work up the effort to really notice my fear. It was like that little voice you always see in books and movies, the one that screams at you when you're doing something wrong.

Well mine was screaming, and I _still _couldn't muster up the ability to care. What does that tell you?

Vlad's tongue traced a tantalizing trail down my navel while his lips massaged and caressed my neck. I lost my senses when he simultaneously kissed me passionately, the combined sensations drawing me into a pot of warm, pulsing heat. I whimpered pathetically, arms trembling as they were moved at the clones desires. Those hands. I could feel them everywhere, leaving not a single inch of skin untouched.

The sudden scent of wood and spice hit my nose. My heart started hammering a little faster cause I knew exactly what that was. I didn't notice when a set of hands were gone though. I only heard the lid to the bottle of oil unscrew. It chinked lightly, and I tried to see who had it and what they were doing, but one of the Vlad's wouldn't let me. He ravaged my tongue more deeply, successfully distracting me once more.

I gasped when some of the warm oil spread across my chest, bare fingers massaging it in. A hot voice in my ear told me to moan, but I kept the sound strangled in my throat, determined not to submit even more. They seemed to sense my lingering stubbornness, and suddenly an oil slick hand was rubbing up my inner thigh, getting dangerously close to my twitching arousal all over again.

I breathed in sharply at the perverse touch, brain starting to feel heavy. One of the Vlad's moved closer to me, kneeling over my leg, I think. I was having trouble focusing my eyes, head rolling around my shoulders. A small part of me wanted to curl into a ball and hide myself from the groping touches, but I couldn't muster the strength. Even when I felt one of Vlad's hands slide around back and press an oil covered finger to my entrance I just laid there, breathing heavily in something close to anticipation. It's not like I could fight him anyways.

"Mmnh!" I winced when Vlad pressed in, sliding so smoothly against my walls that I almost lost control.

"Just let go Daniel," he breathed, dragging the digit in and out as I panted against his neck. "It's okay..."

I shook my head weakly and gasped when a second finger joined. He moved a little faster, all those hands still rubbing my skin and lips teasing my flesh. God, I couldn't win this. I was sinking too fast, succumbing to his gentle touch. W-Why couldn't he just hurt me? Why did he have to make it feel so-

"Ah-AH!" I jumped, a hand grabbing my forgotten member and stroking it in time with his thrusts, "Vla-Vlad st...don...nnngh..."

He was everywhere at once, kissing and stroking and fingering and playing with me. I was in a small, hot cocoon, surrounded by skin and soft whispers.

"Moan Daniel," he said in a low, commanding voice, no question of opposition in his tone.

I cringed at the spike of pleasure in my lower body, gasping and ultimately giving in when his fingers brushed that special spot. I moaned like a million dollar whore, back arching and vision spasming. Vlad grinned in triumph, scissoring my walls and pressing in farther. Everything seemed to speed up, a sense of urgency to the touch. I wasn't in control of my breathing anymore, holding on to two different Vlad's as that terrifying sense of freedom washed over me. I wasn't ready for it, feeling more like a bird in a hurricane than anything else. Vlad was pumping my cock, kissing me and fingering me and making me want to cry. I didn't want this, I _swear_-

"Good, just relax, Danny," Vlad grinned, listening to me moan and squirm for him.

This was so wrong. It went beyond just breaking some law. Vlad was playing me like violin, making me keen and whine for him. I've never even had a girl friend before...

Sam's face burst into my head, making a sob choke in my throat. I coughed, burying my head in someone's chest and squeezing back tears. Vlad ran his fingers through my hair, my body rocking into his touch automatically. She would be so disgusted, so embarrassed to even see me. A strangled sound forced it's way out, I could still feel Vlad pushing his fingers inside me. What would Tucker say if he saw me? Or Jazz, or my parents? Thick globs of shame wormed its way through my pleasure washed body, making me sick. They would all be so ashamed. And if they found out that some sick, messed up part of me actually liked it?

"Stop!" I yelled, forcing my arms to move and yanking them out of someone's grasp. "Get off! Don't touch me! Just _stop_!"

Vlad stilled, they all did. Like trickling water I felt the hands leave my body, away from my throbbing cock and out of my abused entrance. For a moment I laid bare, encircled by the three of them. The room was silent save for my panting breath. I forced my bleary eyes up, almost scared of what I'd see. Vlad looked as though I'd smacked him in the face, red eyes blank.

My heart started beating faster. He was too quiet. I was scared, really scared now. I shouldn't have said that to him. I shouldn't have done that. I was so dead.

The moment must have lasted ten seconds, but it felt like ages. My breath was shallow with fear, arms trembling. Then Vlad seemed to come back to reality, and his eyes narrowed with such fury that I suddenly felt as though I'd been dumped into a bucket of ice water.

"I thought we were making progress, Daniel." he said coolly.

I trembled, voice caught in my throat.

"Do you not like what I do to you? Do you want me to stop making you feel good?"

My heart was leaping out of my chest. The pitiful reply sounded pathetic in my own ears, but I couldn't swallow my fear. I was such a coward.

"P-please," I whispered, "Just...l-leave me alone..."

A sneer of fury warped his features, all of their features, and I had a second of panic before everything happened at once. Someone grabbed my shoulders and shoved me on my back. My eyes widened with fright, struggling desperately to get away. The real Vlad slammed a hand on my chest, holding me down and getting in my face. I froze, heart hammering.

"I don't think so, Daniel." He hissed.

Then his hands were _everywhere_. Panic erupted in a blaze when I was forced onto my stomach, fingers crawling like hundreds of spiders. I screamed, kicked, tried to fight my way through, but the more I moved the more they held me down.

"Stop!" I cried, dizzy with fear.

They were grabbing, hurting, touching. A fist tangled itself into my hair and yanked my head back. Then lips were overpowering mine. Someone grabbed my hips, yanking them up. Vlad ignored me when I screamed in terror through the kiss, scratching at the sheets. Someone was kneeling behind me but I couldn't get away because the hands were holding me down, suffocating me against the mattress. My aching fear was heard through a last terrified scream and then agony, pure white agony, exploded like fire up my spine.

_Horrible _flashbacks instantly seared my memory. Everything was suddenly ten times worse because I was getting raped for the first time and it was happening all at once and I couldn't move cause there were so many hands and it _hurt_. Vlad brutally tore his way through my entrance, abusing me like an old discarded toy. My spasms were restrained, back arching but unable to move because I was too weak.

Everything seemed to be going a mile a minute but with no end in sight. Tears were streaming down my face. I just wanted it to stop. I wanted everything to _stop_.

"Don't cry, Daniel." the voices hissed in my ear.

I choked and whimpered, laughs echoing all around.

"S-stop..._Please_." I whispered, but my begging went unheard.

I groaned painfully as one of them dragged their cock out of my entrance, fingers digging into my hips. I struggled and squirmed against the human chains, grimacing in pain and praying for help, but I was alone. No one was going to save me.

Fire tore it's way up my back again, throat hoarse from screaming. Someone was gripping my shoulders and thrusting into me, rocking my body into the bed. I felt a tongue lick at my tears, a haunting laugh permeating my head. They were pulling my hair, scratching and molesting my skin, searing my body with pain. My cries were ignored, more cruel, mocking words hissed into my ears instead.

"Calm down, Daniel."

"Stop crying, Daniel."

"It's okay, Daniel. It's okay."

"No!" I yelled, desperately trying to claw my way free. But it seemed the more I struggled the harder they held me down.

I screamed when a particularly angry thrust buried deep, hot blood running down my legs and staining the sheets. He slammed into the spot that made stars pop again, my scream curling with agonized pleasure. I felt sick, coughing and gasping and choking on my own cries.

Vlad groaned, grinding against my entrance. I felt him inside of me, but all I could do was take it like a common whore. I groaned and squirmed, the hands holding me still as I cried into the pillow. The Vlad violating me let go of a heavy breath by my ear, laying his head against mine and slowly moving his cock in and out.

After a long time his touch turned a mite gentler, iron grips loosening slightly as he rode the steady waves of pleasure. Calmed, feathery kisses trailed around my body. Heavy groans and pants filled the air, although I wasn't sure if they were from me or him. Them. I was still shaking like a leaf, squeezing my eyes shut and praying to god that he'd stop soon. It only took a few more thrusts before I felt a hot liquid filling me up, shuddering in disgust. Vlad rocked against my body for a little while longer, riding out the climax. Finally, god _finally_, the hands gripping my arms, chest, and hair slowly loosened their grip until they let go, slithering away from me. Soon it was only my gasping sobs that could be heard. As if the fact that I was too weak to stop him wasn't bad enough.

"Daniel..." He muttered, swaying slightly with disorientation.

I couldn't stop gasping for breath, shaking madly. Vlad was still kneeling behind me, making the panic remain in my overloaded brain. Two hands touched my shoulders, just two, but I couldn't stop a loud cry of fear and an automatic cower. They hesitated for a moment before more hands touched me, making me start to cry again. All they did was ease me into someones chest though, gentle and careful. I felt a pair of strong arms encircle me protectively and immediately turned around to bury my face in the accompanying chest, needing, _craving_, some form of safety.

"Shhh..." Vlad whispered, caressing my back slowly, "It's alright, Daniel. You're okay."

Slowly, _achingly_ slow, my spasmodic hyperventilating decreased to little hiccups. The all consuming fear trickled away like receding water, white panic fading. It all seemed like a bad dream now, like some horrible, humiliating dream. I just focused on his soft words, refusing to pay attention to the ache in my lower back or the beginnings of little bruises littering my body. If I imagined hard enough, I could even pretend I was back at home and my parents were just lulling me to sleep.

It was disgusting. Cool rings passed over me and Vlad was suddenly several degrees warmer. He continued to stroke my back comfortingly, feeding the war going on in my brain. I hated him, I really did, but...I think...I think I needed this. I couldn't dwell on what he'd just done, or what he always does. The memory was already trying to pull me under, and I knew if I fell to it I'd never come back. I was being pulled in two different directions, ripping down the middle and still not coming to a solution. I just needed this little bit of comfort, even if it was from Vlad. Was is so bad to indulge, even for a few moments?

The cold reality was sure to hit me in the morning, followed by the self loathing and then the hate. Then I'd go to class, and then training, and then his study, and then I'd do it all over again. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

I couldn't take much more of this. God, where was my family? My friends? Hell, where was _any_ help? I spend years protecting an ungrateful town and karma repays me with nightly rape sessions and a psycho dictator?

Awesome. Just f-fucking awesome.

"Daniel?"

I kept my face firmly buried in his chest, refusing to speak to him.

"Daniel, I know you can hear me."

I tried burying deeper. Maybe if I was lucky his black heart would suck me in and I wouldn't have to worry about life anymore. I heard him sigh from above me, and a long moment of silence followed.

"I suppose I got a little rough there..."

I made an incoherent noise, somewhere between a grunt and a snort. Vlad shifted, probably looking down at me with that quirked eyebrow stare thing. But I don't know. I was still hiding.

"I wouldn't have gotten angry if you hadn't led me on though. I thought we'd been making good progress."

"...Progress on what?" I grumbled out reluctantly. My voice was still shaky, but I was curious as to how him raping me with two clones was my fault.

"On our relationship, Daniel."

God, he's such a creep.

"Vlad," I groaned, going against my better judgment and arguing. I just really wanted to get this through his thick head. "I'm _fifteen_. You're _forty_. We don't _have _a relationship."

"What does age have to do with anything?"

I pulled away from him, tired, traumatized, and now thoroughly irritated. Did he really want to have this discussion _now_?

"I don't know, Vlad." I sighed, deciding to just go along with it. He pet my hair with a freakishly gentle smile when I laid back down, as though he hadn't just thoroughly violated my personal space.

"Age doesn't matter Daniel," he continued playing with my hair, "Fifteen or forty, I'd still care the same for you."

"Well what about me? Fifteen or forty, I'd still hate you." I muttered darkly.

Vlad spared a moment of pause, glancing down at me with a disapproving stare before resuming his petting.

"Maybe for now, but in due time I do believe you'll come to change your mind."

"Oh yeah?" I scowled "And how do you figure that?"

His hand stilled. I glanced up at him on a whim of curiosity, my frown melting into a sudden wary concern. I didn't like the expression on his face. It was dark, malicious, a leering grin that oozed with the anticipation of ominous plans. He turned those lidded eyes to me and I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Simple persuasion, my boy."

That didn't sound good at all.


	7. Chapter 7

I'M SO SORRY! T_T Seriously, I won't blame you if you don't accept my apology. The way I see it, each unfinished story I've written is a contract I've made with my readers. It's my job to update in a timely fashion, which I have not been doing. Lucky for me, there's plenty of other excellent writers-cough! The-Other-Ghostwriter cough!-to keep you from realizing that I fail at life. At least I hope.

I hope you enjoy this chapter and I know I said I'd post two at once, but I really needed to update this so hear it is. This just means the next chapter really _will_ be up faster.

Crap, I gotta go to class.

* * *

_"Sam, come on, I promise I won't bite." _

_ Danny smiled at me expectantly, glowing in every sense of the word. I glanced down at his outstretched hand and back to the wild happiness in his neon eyes. He just grinned expectantly, knowing I wouldn't refuse him. _

_ Slowly, apprehensively, I moved my small hand forward. In the void of darkness surrounding us, it looked frail and detached. I couldn't help but notice how weakly it compared in Danny's strong palm. For a moment, neither of us moved. Danny stared at my hand in his, curling his fingers around mine. The grin on his face slowly warped into a leer and those neon eyes burned a little brighter. I gasped when his grip turned painful, fingers digging into my skin and crushing my knuckles. _

_ "Ow! Danny, let go!" _

_ But he didn't. My pained gasp turned into a horrified gape when I looked at him, expecting electric green eyes and getting a bloody, crimson red. His teeth were pointed and sharp, glistening with an unholy light in the world of darkness. A scream clogged my throat when his white hair suddenly burned like fire, illuminating sickly, blue skin._

_ "Come on, Sam." He hissed, a manic gleam in his wide eyes. "I promise I won't hurt you."_

_ He way lying. He was lying straight through those horrid, sharp teeth. I could tell by the malicious mirth dancing in his red irises. Desperately, I tried yanking my hand out of his iron grip. Danny started laughing, the humorless sound piercing every inch of my brain. I was panicking, mind spinning in circles. The harder I tried to escape the more I was sucked in._

_ "What's wrong Sam?" He pouted, "Don't you want to stay with me?"_

_ I yelped with fear when he suddenly pulled me in, pressing me against his rock hard chest. _

_ "I really need you right now, Sam." he hissed, fury burning in every syllable._

_ Then fire was burning everywhere. People were screaming and buildings were crashing to the ground. I was surrounded by flame, the heat searing my vision. Danny was gone, but the maniacal laughter remained, echoing across the hellish landscape. Everywhere I turned there was a wall of orange and red and yellow. The inferno cackled higher, mixing with the laughter and creating a devilish symphony. I pressed my hands __to my ears, feeling my skin start to melt from the heat. I was dying-we were all dying! _

_ "DANNY!" I screamed._

_ My eyes were squeezed shut, not wanting to see my own demise. It took me a moment to realize the heat was gone. In fact, it was all gone. Quick as it had come, the raging fire had left, replaced by something cold. Carefully, fearfully, I opened my eyes, coming face to face with a chilling darkness. It reminded me of being in a massive, empty room, full of space and seeming to hold a constant echo of nothing. My hands, previously cemented to my ears, came down in slow jerks. I took a few steps back, but before I could notice anything else about this place I ran into somebody._

_ With a shriek of fear I jumped and spun around. Danny was in front of me again, but for the first time he was human. My heart was beating madly in my chest, eyes wide and breath shallow. It took a second for me to notice that there was nothing to be afraid of; he was just standing there. I swallowed the lump in my throat, taking deep breaths as I gazed at him in apprehensive confusion. _

_ "Danny...?"_

_ He looked dead, the utter emptiness of the surrounding space solidified in his dull eyes. Black, wispy hair hung over his blank face, contrasting sharply with the corpse white skin. His usual clothes hung on him like a worn tent, making him look frail and used. After a long moment he looked up at me, agonized desperation shining in those lifeless blue eyes._

_ "I've been here the whole time, Sam." He croaked, looking ready to cry. "I've been here the whole time..."_

A startled gasp ripped from my throat and suddenly I was awake. Like a punch in the gut, reality slammed into me, though I didn't realize it at first because Danny's broken voice was still pounding into my brain. The same silence from my nightmare pressed on my ear drums, keeping my heart pounding against my chest. Was I still dreaming? Was I really awake? I don't know how long I laid in the darkness fearing nothing, but after a long while I finally got a hold of myself.

It was just a nightmare. Just a stupid nightmare...

There were no clocks in the small room, and the lights didn't work despite the generator being available to power them. Everyone was too scared we'd get caught if any of the lights were on. Besides, the generator was only built to power the ghost portal, assuming the Fenton's ever finish it. Whatever the time was, I at least knew it was day time. A soft light was seeping in through the heavy, ripped curtains, shadowing the still slumbering form of my mom. It was probably late morning, or perhaps early afternoon. I stared out into the cloudy sky for a mindless moment, forcing myself to think about nothing except maybe the simple pleasures of a watch. Sad, isn't it? That's basically what my life has become.

Either way, I was wide awake now. There was no way I'd be able to sleep after a nightmare like that. The bed creaked when I lifted myself from it and I cringed at the feel of dirt layers still clinging to my skin. I really needed a shower. Mom was undisturbed, completely exhausted after tending to all the injured downstairs. It was easy to slip on my scuffed up boots and sneak out.

The door clicked shut behind me and I automatically followed the same routine I've been following for the past two weeks. I turned on my heels and ambled down to Tucker's room. God...two weeks. The knowledge sat like a rock in my stomach. Day in and day out I've been doing the same thing. Wake up, do nothing, beg mom to let me go on patrol, do more of nothing, pray Danny was okay, nothing and sleep. The only mix up was the sorta-recent addition of Tucker, which definitely helped lift my spirits a bit. Unfortunately they'd also been recently dragged down by our newest addition to the group.

The door creaked like some haunted mansion when I peaked into my best friend's room. Tucker's parents weren't there, and neither was Dash's dad. Tucker was sprawled out on his bed, dampening his pillow with drool. Dash was all curled up in a ball, looking like a kid hugging a stuffed animal just minus the stuffed animal. I almost felt bad about waking them up, but I was lonely and every time I get lonely I can't stop thinking about Danny.

"Tucker! Get up!" I yelled, throwing a piece of garbage at him.

As expected, he barely moved, snorting a bit and then rolling over in his sleep. I didn't, however, expect the reaction from Dash. He practically screamed like a little girl and jumped ten feet in the air. I rose an eyebrow at the wild reaction, getting an equally wild look from the disheveled blonde.

"Jesus Christ, Manson! What the heck was that for! ...And what are you doing in here anyways!"

Alerted by Dash's screeching, Tucker groaned and gave a great yawn. He sat up and tiredly rubbed his eyes, blinking blearily.

"What the hell Dash? Stop screaming, I'm trying to sleep here."

"Don't look at me, Manson's the one barging into our room!" He had the sheets pulled up to his neck, which was actually kinda comical.

"So?" Tucker yawned, "Don't be such a girl, it's just Sam."

"Hey, you watch it Foley, I could kick your ass!"

Tucker ignored him, stretching and cracking something in his back. Dash had become significantly less threatening in light of this whole world domination thing. Turns out without his cronies and his big-and-bad ego, Dash is just another scared kid. My techo geek friend forced himself to his feet and blindly searched for his shirt. The turtle neck was so dirty it looked more brown than yellow. After pulling it on he shoved his glasses on his face and stuffed his feet into shoes, all with a zombie scowl on his face. Dash, who unfortunately had slowly begun to follow his lead, pulled an equally filthy shirt over his head while shooting me vile looks. I just rolled my eyes, not waiting up once Tucker was ready to go.

"Hey wait!"

Dash quickly caught up with us as we made our way to the basement, trailing behind like a lost puppy dog. I don't know why he seems to think we're all friends now just because his fellow A-listers are dead or missing, but Dash has been sticking to us like glue since he got here. It's kinda pathetic and I would have felt sympathetic, but I didn't like him. He was a jerk to Danny. Dash wandered off to see his mom once we got to the basement, joining his Dad. I remember my mom telling me that Mrs. Baxter wasn't looking too good, and even from this distance I could tell she was unnaturally pale. Hopefully she wouldn't die or else Dash would become even more unbearable.

I ignored the twinge in my heart, refusing to think of how heartless that was or about my own dead father. Thinking about that would only depress me more. Me and Tucker silently walked to the supply closet where all our food was being stored. Unsurprisingly, Jazz was in there recounting the rations and organizing the closet for the hundredth time.

"Again Jazz?" Tucker snickered, wiping the last dregs of sleep from his eyes. "How many more times are you gonna move this closet around.

"I just want to make sure it's easy to get around and know where everything's at," she answered, rushing around in unnecessary haste. Something was bugging her.

Tucker shrugged, grabbing a box of cereal and mumbling something about giving some to Dash. He's more sympathetic than I am. Once he was gone, I didn't hesitate question her antsy behavior.

"Alright, what's wrong Jazz?"

She stilled, holding a can of something in her hand before moving it to a different shelf.

"It's the portal. I think they're almost done." She replied, about to move something else but suddenly giving up. I watched with concern when she flopped down on a box, staring desolately at the floor.

"Well that's a good thing, right?" I asked, sitting next to her. "We can finally get a move on and save Danny."

"No, we can't," she sighed, shaking her head violently. "If Mom and Dad just charge into Vlad's mansion through the ghost portal-which I _know _is what they're planning on doing-they're just gonna get themselves caught. I know the resistance isn't much of a resistance, but all these people still look up to my parents. Heck, half of them already think their leading some revolt, and maybe they are but...I just..." she sighed, "I don't know what they're doing, but if they intend to get Danny back they're gonna need a heck of a lot more than just themselves."

"...so what do you think we should do?"

"We?" She sat straight, suddenly confused, "What do you mean 'we?' _We _can't do anything. We're just a bunch of...of kids. How can we hope to outsmart Vlad?"

"Danny's outsmarted him plenty of times. And even if we're just kids, we've been fighting off ghosts for as long as Danny has. No offense Jazz, but your parents aren't moving fast enough. If they want to spend all their time rebuilding inventions, that's they're choice, but I think it's time we take matters into our own hands."

But Jazz shook her head, not even getting angry at my mutinous suggestion. Then again she probably expected it. Leave it to me to rebel against rebellion.

"No Sam. We may have the knowledge to combat Vlad, but if we go it on our own we'll be doing the same thing as my parents. We need to work _together_, you know? My mom and dad need the knowledge you guys have, and we need their support. None of us can do this on our own."

"But we can't keep waiting!" I didn't mean to snap, "Danny's been in there for two weeks now, he can't afford to stay there much longer!"

"I know," Jazz moaned, putting her face into her hands, "I know."

Naturally, I instantly felt guilty for snapping at her. I sat in silence, reflecting on my own chaotic emotions for a moment before sighing.

"...I'm sorry Jazz. I didn't mean to yell."

"Oh, no it's okay, you're fine," she sniffed, shaking her head and rubbing her suspiciously shiny eyes, "I just...I don't know what to do, you know?"

Outside this little closet, I could still hear the moans of injured people. A slight buzzing sound alerted me to the ever working Fentons, and even the dull silence that took up the rest of the space let me know that things in the resistance were as dead as ever.

"Yeah," I sighed, "I know what you mean."

I dragged Jazz out of the supply closet shortly after our chat. That girl didn't need to be spending time by herself anymore than I did. Well, that and I didn't want to spend all day with Dash again. Tucker's great and all, but sometimes Dash just grates on my last nerve. It doesn't help that I have five billion and one things I want to discuss with Tucker-like _Clockwork_, for instance-but can't because of him.

Since the Fenton's were using all the tables for their work and any extras were being used by the infirmary, me and Jazz relaxed by Tucker's self-proclaimed 'Tuck space.' He'd finished fixing three camera's yesterday, and they were supposed to go out with the next patrol today. Hopefully they'd be set up by tonight. We almost lost a few people a couple days ago, something my mom was quick to point out every time I begged her to let me go on patrol.

"Is there a unit out right now?" I asked Jazz, figuring she would know. People have kinda looked up to her since her parents are unresponsive. She's been doing a pretty good job at handling things, too.

"Yeah. They're setting up the cameras Tucker fixed. Those horrid ghouls come out at night, so Damon said it would probably be better to set them up now while it's less active."

"Damon? Valarie's Dad? How's he doing?"

A smile brightened Jazz's face. It wasn't that big of a grin either, but just the upturned corners flicked on a new switch to her face. It was nice to see someone smile.

"He's doing great. The antibiotics worked like a charm and Tucker's mom managed to close the wound pretty good. In fact, he said he'll take over the patrol units in a couple days. He'll be much better at directing them than I."

"Ah, you aren't that bad. You've gotten us food for the past two weeks." I smiled, patting a hand on her back.

"Thanks," Jazz said modestly, shrugging, "But really, it's not that hard to guess why Damon wants to be Patrol leader."

"Yeah. Valarie."

Valarie was probably the most determined member of the resistance, rivaled only by the Fentons. Her drive to kill ghosts and ultimately Vlad was a boarder line obsession. Her and Damon had shown up a few days after I did. It'd been a similar scene to Dash and his family, just minus the mom and Damon being the one injured. She'd carted him in with her speeder, not caring about her secret identity. Anyone who saw her instantly knew she was the Red Huntress seeing as her helmet was gone and she was still wearing her badly singed suit. Compared to the fact that her Dad was bleeding to death, though, it wasn't that big of a deal.

As the story goes, Valarie had been off fighting ghosts while her Dad was searching for food and other survivors. When a group of Vlad's ghouls caught him by surprise, he only had the gun his daughter had given him. He didn't stand a chance. Valarie flew in at the last possible second, whisking him away and consequently stumbling into this hotel. One of the ghouls had literally bitten off the hand he was shooting with and ending up taking his whole arm. There was blood everywhere. According to Damon, though, they hadn't been trying to kill him immediately. He said they spent a lot of time just playing with him, which lead Jazz to believe that they were using him as bait to get to Valarie. It wouldn't be surprising if Vlad had it out for his once blind pawn. She is a very capable ghost fighter, after all.

Anyway, It's lucky that Valarie managed to get him help when she did because otherwise he wouldn't have made it. My mom and some of the others managed to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't until Tucker's mom showed up that he finally started getting better. Valarie, of course, blames herself and is hardly seen doing anything but patrolling or sitting by her Dad's bedside. She hasn't said much to me, Tucker and Jazz, but that might have something to do with her finding out that Danny is the ghost boy she'd been hunting for so long. Amidst all the commotion with her Dad, it some how got slipped that Danny Fenton was Danny Phantom. Don't ask me how, I have no idea, but it did. Needless to say, she's kept to herself since then. Jazz says she's doing the same thing her parents are doing. After all, she did trust Vlad, and then to suddenly learn she'd been hunting one of her friends for over a year? Well it wasn't exactly surprising that she wasn't talking to us. Jazz says to just give her time, but that's what she always says.

"For a guy with only one arm, he seems to be making a pretty fast recovery."

"He really wants to help his daughter. I talked to him about it once and he said he's terrified Valarie will end up where he's at. But she just won't listen to him." Jazz shrugged.

"Yeah," I said sourly, "If she keeps throwing herself out there like that, she _will _get herself killed. Or worse, captured. Even I can see that."

"You know how people get when they're under emotional stress, though." Jazz said helplessly.

"Yep. Irrational."

Jazz stared ahead, not coming back with a comment. The small conversation died, leaving the usual stale silence to sit around us. I sighed, resting my chin in my hands and leaning on my knees. My mom was still asleep, but Helen seemed to have infirmary duty covered. Some people were ambling around, the same desolate expression reflected on every person in the room. I looked away, watching the blank TV screens behind us instead. They seemed to have more emotion than the rest of us.

"Have you guys told Dash yet?"

"About Danny?"

"Yeah."

I turned back around, watching as the blond boy himself said something to his Mom and hugged his Dad. Tucker was hovering around him awkwardly.

"No." I replied, "Tucker doesn't want me to."

Jazz frowned at that, staring at our favorite techno geek as well.

"Why not? Other people already know."

"Trust me, he's not happy about that. He keeps saying it's Danny's secret, and that we shouldn't blab it like Vlad did."

"Ouch."

"Mmhm."

Jazz was quiet for a while, but it was easy to see the mounting frustration in her eyes.

"But what's the point of keeping secrets anymore?" she huffed, "I'm sick and tired of having to watch what I say when I'm just trying to lift people's spirits."

"Trust me, I know what you mean. I keep trying to talk to Tucker about Danny and possible ways to get him back, but I can't with our new satellite constantly hovering around us." I glared at Dash.

"People are always asking about Phantom, too," Jazz looked at me, nodding in understanding, "Or they're always talking about him. I want my brother to finally get the credit that's due to him. People are desperate to have someone to believe in, and I don't know for certain but I'm sure that what ever Danny's doing now, he needs people to believe in him too."

"I know." I replied, shaking my head, "God, if I could just get ten minutes without Dash we might be able to get something accomplished. I mean have you even considered the possibility of asking Clock-"

But before I could go on I had to stop myself. Tucker and Dash were quickly approaching earshot, and it wasn't long before they were sitting themselves beside us.

"Man, I haven't eaten so much dry cereal since forever!" the bug on my metaphorical windshield complained, already getting on my nerves.

"Dash," I said through gritted teeth, "You've been here for two days. Get used to it."

He ignored me, which was probably a good thing. Dash had quickly learned not to mess with me.

"So what do you guys do around here except sit?"

"We stare at walls."

Jazz glanced in my direction, but there was no smile on her face.

"People mostly keep to themselves, Dash," she sighed, answering his question because it was clear that Tucker and I weren't going to.

"But isn't this supposed to be some kind of resistance?"

"It's supposed to be." I grumbled, but he didn't hear me.

"It's not that easy." Jazz continued. How she had the patience to deal with him I'll never know. "Everyone is really depressed, including my parents. People just...don't have a lot of spirit right now. ...We need a leader..."

"Aren't your freaky parents-" We all glared at him and he quickly back tracked, "Er, I mean, aren't your parents supposed to lead this thing? After all, they know the most about ghosts."

"Yeah," Jazz began slowly again, "But they have a lot to deal with, more than the rest of us. On top of Danny being kidnapped, they used to be close friends with Vlad in college."

"They were!"

"Uh huh." There was more to it, but Jazz was forced to stop there.

"So...so what are they doing now?"

"None of us really know." she said tiredly, "They built a generator and a ghost portal, but we think they're just moving on auto pilot at this point. They really want to get Danny back."

"...sooo, there is no plan?"

"Basically." I muttered, the taste of bitterness sharp on my tongue.

Dash fiddled with the box in his hand, popping a few more of the fruiti pebbles into his mouth. Jazz eventually took the box from him, saying how we had to conserve food. He didn't look too happy, but didn't looked back at the blank TV screens and sighed, mumbling about cables and settings. I sat there and stared at a wall.

"It can't be that hard." Dash continued, talking to the air. We all stared at him.

"What can't be hard?"

"Breaking into that mansion."

"Seriously?" I scathed, "Dash, go be stupid somewhere else."

"It's," Jazz quickly interrupted his fiery retort, "not that simple." She didn't continue until he settled down. "The patrol units have told us that Vlad's already prepared for a fight. The fortifications around his mansion are too strong for us to break through on our own, not to mention the ghost army lurking behind every barricade. Even a small group of people would have difficulty sneaking through. On the flip side, escaping from the city isn't an option either. He's trapped us in like rats thanks to that wall. Our only hope is praying that Vlad's security is more lax around his ghost portal and then entering through there. If we can get rid of Vlad we'll be free."

And Danny will be free...

"So...wait, I thought you said your parents don't have a plan?"

"They don't have a plan that includes the rest of us. Or any common sense."

I caught a reproachful frown from Jazz, but I was done caring.

"Do they think they're the only one who want Danny back? I mean, we care about him too! Why does it feel like we're the only ones in this entire freaking building who give a damn?"

"Sam, calm down." Tucker frowned.

"No! This is stupid, Tuck! We're spending all of our time waiting and jumping around secrets while Danny could be _dying_." I caught his eyes flicker to a confused Dash, but I didn't care. My two week long patience had officially worn out.

"Sam, wait!" Jazz hissed.

"No, I'm not-"

"No, seriously! _Look_!"

Impatiently, I snapped my head to the direction Jazz was pointing and the fire was put on pause. The Fenton's were standing in front of the portal, side by side. There were no tools in their hands, just the stunned silence that comes with the completion of a difficult project. Despite the solemn note interjected into the air of accomplishment, there was no denying what had the entire basement suddenly so quiet.

The ghost portal was done.

I can't describe the impossible feeling that was suddenly hovering in the air. It was like all the previous emotions everyone felt-fatiuge, anger, sorrow-they were all gone, transformed into a little bubble of impossible hope. Jack was holding a little box with a switch on it, and the box was connected to a long thick wire that ran straight into the empty portal. My anger was successfully subdued, suppressed by a thick blanket of nervousness. He raised his hand, moving to turn on the switch. Everybody-Helen, Damon, Dash's parents, strangers, even Mikey's mom-seemed to lean, the unison sound of hearts beating on ribcages echoing dully.

Luckily for us, Jack must have remembered to put the 'on' button on the outside this time. He flicked the switch and a quiet whine started up, clearly coming from the portal. I squinted my eyes; there was a small pinprick of unearthly green light deep in the tunnel, the exact same kind that started up when Danny first stepped into the portal. It was then that I knew it was going to work.

The pinprick exploded, just like it did nearly two years ago. The Fenton's disappeared in the blinding light that engulfed the room and I quickly covered my eyes. I could almost hear Danny's distant scream. It was over in a matter of seconds; the light was there, and then it wasn't. In place of the empty tunnel there was a swirling green vortex, throwing everything and everyone into sharp, green relief.

"Whoa..." Dash gasped, dumbfounded.

The air shifted. The basement seemed colder and eerie. People were mesmerized by the spinning greens of the portal, the knowledge that the realm of the dead rested right on the other side quenching all sound. I bit my lip and looked around, seeing the open fear and awe on everyone's face. I was more preoccupied by the two shadows standing in front of the twisting realm though. They looked as though they were puppets hanging on a string, tired and emotionless. I wanted to know what would happen next, if our past two weeks of patience would pay off or be crushed again. Everything hinged on this moment for me, and really, for the Resistance itself.

But like the marionettes they so resembled, Jack and Maddie turned back to the blueprint table and silently began another project.

I don't know what it was. A loud, buzzing sound started going off in my brain, denial and disbelief peppering the noise. I was left with a gaping mouth, blinking at their sheer _nerve _to continue living in their own little world. I guess I just snapped there, like a rubber band pulled taunt way beyond it's limit.

"NO!" I screamed at them, my once quieted fury doubling with renewed strength. I was _done_.

The ethereal feeling of amazement snapped. Like pulling a clog from a drain, Maddie and Jack stood straight. They blinked in confusion, as though just realizing there was a room full of people watching them. I stomped forward, letting my anger and disappointment drive me to the point of blind fury.

"No!" I yelled at them again, voice echoing in the silence of the basement. "I can't take this anymore! How much longer are you going to keep us waiting! We have people dying in here, _dying_, and all you guys ever do is focus on your stupid ghost inventions!"

They stared at me, blinking and gaping.

"We're supposed to be a Resistance! We're supposed to be a unified organization hell bent on kicking Vlad into the ground and taking our world back! But what are we doing? We're sitting here twiddling our thumbs while Danny's been locked up with that fruitloop for _two weeks_!"

If I had paused, I'm sure I would have heard a few gasps from my cold, blunt words. As it was, Maddie looked as though she'd just been smacked in the face, her once empty eyes sparkling with renewed hurt. I was numb to the guilt though, the words just kept coming.

"What the heck do you plan to do once you dive into the ghost zone? Bust into Vlad's lab and save Danny?" I scathed, shaking my head and glaring at them, "You can't just do that, it's not that simple! If you do something stupid like that you'll get yourself caught and how will that help Danny?"

"I..." Maddie struggled to speak, amethyst eyes glistening. Jack look like stone, ashen face as distraught as it's always been. "We love our son!" she choked, fists clenched. "Everything we've been doing is for him, young lady! Y-You have no right to talk to us like this!"

"Well who else is gonna say it!" I felt my own voice starting to tighten. I never dreamed I'd ever be talking to Mrs. Fention like this. Unlike my own parents, I've always respected them. Is this what Vlad's 'rule' has done to us?

I whirled around to everyone else in the basement, all of their gaping, dumb faces making me angrier.

"How about you all!" I yelled, " You've all been thinking the same thing, I'm just the one who finally said it!"

No one responded, as I expected. They just stared at me, a few looking to the ground shamefully or in embarrassment. I wanted to keep screaming at them, but my own heart was too heavy. Why was I even yelling at them?

"We love our son." Maddie whispered from behind me, and I turned around, "Not a day goes by that we don't think about him...or what he's going through. We're trying to save our little boy." she choked, a wet streak on her face glinting from the portal light, "It's all we've ever been trying to do..."

I didn't know what to say. I had a hundred responses to that, but her words were so wrought with pain that I was struck dumb, my fiery anger chilled as quick as it had come. Jack placed a hand on Maddie's shoulder, pulling her into his chest and letting her cry. He didn't shoot me any accusatory glares or bitter insults. He just bowed his head and comforted his wife, oblivious to everyone else. The weight in my chest increased when they abandoned their work station for the first time. They ambled by me and walked through the basement door, leaving the final, soft click in their wake.

Silence reigned. I felt everyone's eyes on me and I could tell they weren't happy. When I looked around, all I saw were the reproachful glares and disappointed frowns, as though everything was now _my _fault.

"...What are you all staring at?" I shouted, glaring at them myself. I refused to squirm under their judging stares.

But nobody responded. They just shook their heads like they had some right to pass an opinion on me and turned away. They all trickled away until I was left standing alone in the basement, a basement which suddenly seemed much larger. Our 'leaders' were farther away then ever now, and this time, that really was my fault. I just couldn't win, could I?

"Sam-"

Tucker came up behind me, but I couldn't take it anymore.

"Don't, Tucker." I held up a hand, forcing the burn in my throat away, "I can't talk right now."

And with that, I did the one thing I never thought I do in my life. I fled.

I don't exactly know where I was going. I heard Tucker or Jazz call out my name, but I ignored them and pounded up the stairs. Dull sunlight spilled into the lobby, the DP logo I scratched into the pillar serving as I kick in the gut. We were failing as a resistance just as much as we were failing Danny.

I kept moving, trying to out run my problems and leave them rolling in the dust. I had no idea where I was going though. My mom was still asleep in our room, and I couldn't very well go to the normally empty Fenton room. I just let my feet lead me, putting as much distance as I could between me and the resistance without actually leaving the building. Soon I was climbing stairs, half of them rotted or crumbling away. I think I passed Mr. Foley's group cleaning the upper rooms, but I was gone before they noticed me.

The hotel got quieter and quieter as I climbed, a stench of death starting to fill the stagnant air. Nobody was up here and it was only when I reached the top floor that I realized I didn't want to be here. I was completely alone.

I stood in the utter silence, listening to the wind blow through cracks or tiny holes in the wall. It was creepy up here, and so _quiet_. My feet were frozen to the frayed carpet though, unable to move. It was only when a loud, ominous creak cut the silence that I jumped, the heavy door behind me slamming shut.

"...Now what?" I whispered, unconsciously holding my arms.

Without much thought on the decision, I started walking around. I don't know what I was looking for-an escape from a building I couldn't leave?-but it prompted me to randomly start opening doors. Maybe I was looking for Narnia.

"Why's everyone all mad at me?" I grumbled, roughly shutting the door on another empty, disheveled hotel room. "It's not like it's my fault we've been stuck in this stupid hotel for half a month."

The sunlight was absolutely pouring into these rooms. They all had windows, and the undisturbed air made each suite seem emptier than the next. There was still a putrid smell up here though. Maybe an animal had gotten up here and died or something.

"They were all thinking it anyways, it's not like I said anything wrong." I was still talking to myself. Opening doors quickly got boring though, and I ended up falling against a wall and sliding to the floor. I guess it wasn't too bad up here. Quiet, but...no one was glaring.

"I just wanna save Danny. Why can't people understand that. ...I bet if they knew Danny was Phantom they'd all be clamoring to break down Vlad's mansion." I glared bitterly at the opposite wall, chin in my arms. But it fell away with a sigh; I was tired of being angry. "I guess help is better than no help at all though, no matter what the motivation is."

I don't know how long I sat up there, staring at the wall and flicking bits of crumbled drywall with my nail. It was long enough that I realized I needed to apologize to the Fentons. And that I was probably freaking out Tucker and Jazz. No doubt my mom was up by now and spazzing too. I didn't want to go back down there though. Returning to the resistance meant nothing more than hopeless waiting and I felt as though my heart would crack if I kept failing Danny like I have been. He's my best friend-no, _more _than a best friend. He means the world to me and...I just want him home.

"But he's never gonna get home unless we start accomplishing something." I muttered, Jazz's words choosing the right moment to replay in my head.

_"My mom and dad need the knowledge you guys have, and we need their support. None of us can do this on our own."_

An angry huff blew some of the hair hanging in my face. I scowled at the floor, pouting more than anything. I wanted to save Danny _now_. I didn't wanna spend any more time explaining or cooperating or stuff like that. Me and Tucker know how Vlad works. I bet we could come up with something easy and go rescue Danny like we've always done. Sure, maybe circumstances have changed a bit, but Vlad's still Vlad right? The only thing he can do is get a little crazier and he was plenty crazy before so we can still beat him, right?

But that annoying twinge of logic kept poking the back of my brain. What if it was too much? What if we failed? We're too in over our heads to go it alone anymore. These were valid points, so I couldn't just ignore them. If we failed, Danny would _never _be free.

"Which means," I grumbled, rubbing my temples, "What ever we plan to do, it _has _to work. We _can't _fail."

There is no way I would risk the success of saving Danny. So really, I knew what I was going to do when I went down stairs before I even thought about it. I pushed off the wall with another sigh, forcing myself up and stretching tense muscles. Nothing was gonna get accomplished if I sat up here and pouted anyways.

The dead silence of the hallway swallowed my footsteps as I made my way back to the stairwell. The smell of rotting bodies was still lingering, and I was momentarily glad I didn't stumble upon a corpse. That would have just been the icing to my day.

"Where the heck have you been!" Jazz cried when I finally got down to the ground floor. Her, Tucker, and Dash were clustered around my room, talking amongst themselves with worried expressions. Or at least Jazz and Tucker were. Dash was just hovering again.

"Sam!" Tucker yelled happily, looking up when Jazz cried out and letting a smile relax his features.

"Hi guys." I winced, shrugging helplessly, "How long have I been gone?"

"I dunno, but your Mom's a wreck. She's convinced you left the hotel. You might wanna go find her."

"Eesh, yeah I better go do that." I cringed. I wouldn't put it past my mom to rally up a mess of unwilling volunteers to go find me.

"Where were you?" Jazz asked, brows furrowed.

"The top floor."

"The top floor! But my dad hasn't cleared that hallway yet!"

"Yeah, I know. It stinks up there."

"Did you...you know...find any bodies?" Tucker whispered, as though the bodies would come down here and strangle him for mentioning them.

"No, but I sure did smell them."

"That's not funny Sam. Some kid went up there last week and he said a janitor hung himself in a cleaning closet. I think we've all been traumatized enough."

Dash was pale enough to look traumatized.

"Jazz, it's just a dead body. It's not like we've never seen them before." I rolled my eyes. She's so protective. "Look, I'm gonna go find my mom and tell her I'm okay. Will you guys stay here? I wanna talk to you about something."

They said they would and I had no reason to doubt them cause it's not like they have anything else better to do. I found my mom in the basement trying to rally up a group to go find me, shockingly enough. So far, there were no takers, which made me feel awesome. "She's a teenager," they said, "She'll show up eventually." When mom found me she proceeded to shower me with tears and scoldings, saying "Never do that again, young lady!" I would have been embarrassed, but I'm used to it by now. She was never gonna let me go on patrol though.

The whole affair took way too long (a solid thirty minutes) and by the time I finally made it back up to my friends and Dash, they were all sprawled on the floor talking about nothing in particular. In short, they were bored out of their minds.

"About time!" Tucker said, jumping up. Jazz stood and dusted the dirt from her pants, but her pants were filthy anyway so it was a pointless effort.

"Is your mom okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. She's working with Helen now, so I'm sure she's telling her all about how I'm an impossible child or something. She'll be fine."

Dash was quiet in all of this, and a dull pang reminded me of his own mother. She hadn't looked any better while I was down there. I gazed at his downcast face for a moment but pushed the emotion away. I had more important things to worry about.

"I need to apologize to your parents." I said to Jazz. Tucker snorted.

"Yeah, no kidding."

"But," I glared at him, "I don't want things to return to how they've been for the past two weeks."

Jazz gave me a thoughtful look, nodding slowly.

"Yes," she began hesitantly, "Neither do I, but...how do you plan on doing that?"

"That's where I need your help. You were right this morning, when you said we all need to start working together." I looked at Tucker and even Dash, speaking to them all. "We've spent the past two weeks ambling around aimlessly because no one knows what to do with themselves or where to start. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton need to be our leaders. They know the most about ghosts and they have the smarts to invent everything we'll need. _We _need to help them," I motioned to me, Jazz, and Tucker, "Because we know everything about Vlad and Danny that they don't."

"So what are you thinking we should do?" Jazz rose an eye brow.

"I think we should all go to the Fenton's and lay everything on the table. _Everything_. All of Danny's ghost fights, all about Vlad, Danny's allies, all of it. I think your parents are ready to listen now."

"Fenton fights ghosts?"

"Once everything is out we can start building a system down here and people won't be so hopeless anymore. The resistance can actually be a Resistance."

Tucker and Jazz looked thoughtful for only a moment, the latter quickly nodding her head and smiling. Dash still looked completely confused.

"You know, I think this will work out perfectly." Jazz smiled, a kind of relief on her face.

"We need more than just leader's, though, we need motivation."

"I think we have plenty of that Sam." Tucker replied sardonically.

"No, I'm not talking about personal vendettas," I shook my head, continuing, "I think this resistance has been falling apart because we've _all _been living in our own little worlds. We've been concentrating on our own suffering and keeping to ourselves without letting anyone in to help, mainly cause no one thinks there _is _anyone to help. I'm not saying we should form some giant support group and talk out our problems or anything,-" Jazz looked a little disappointed. "-but if we focus on something greater, something we can all unify ourselves under, I'm sure this resistance could band together and take back our world. But to do that we'll have to have a level of trust that would supersede _all_ _secrets_."

I stared at Tucker pointedly whose eyes widened.

"Wait, what secrets?" Dash asked, scratching his head.

"We can't ask people to trust us if we don't trust them." I looked at Tucker, "They need to know."

He didn't reply, the stubbornness remaining in his eyes. I started feeling a little irritated. Why was it such a big deal?

"Covering for Danny's secret was necessary when we were trying to help the city without getting Danny sent to the GIW, but that's over now. He needs our help and even his own parents already know. We don't have time to keep bouncing around the real issue. I'm sure Danny's top priority is escaping Vlad right now anyways, not keeping his secret intact."

"But it's Danny's secret!"

"What's Danny's secret?"

"Not anymore. The world already knows about half ghosts, and with Vlad ruling it's only a matter of time until he reveals Danny as his heir or something and everyone knows about him too. Don't you think people should hear it from us, rather than him?"

Tucker was quiet, my words have a noticeable effect on him. Dash was sending us baffled looks, occasionally looking to Jazz for an explanation. I wasn't even paying attention to him, though.

"Please Tucker," I implored. "We can't save Danny if all we do is worry about his secret."

Tucker stared at the floor, rubbing a patch of dirt with his shoe. Jazz glanced nervously between him and me. Dash looked like he was about to explode with questions, but was restraining himself. I was actually kinda impressed.

Finally, Tucker's shoulder's seemed to sag. A long sigh blew past his lips and he looked up, staring at me. The shadow in his eyes was rather tragic, to be honest. I didn't expect it.

"Why are you so hell bent on keeping it between us anyways?" I asked quietly.

"Because...because that's how it's always been, you know?" He replied, the air of giving up something precious around him. "We always worked so hard to make sure it stayed between us, even going so far as to cross-dress." He chuckled, shaking his head. "It's bad enough that so many people already know. I don't want all of that, all of our memories of...of I guess a better-_happier_-time to just...be thrown away."

"Tucker..." Jazz rested a gentle hand on his shoulder, offering a wane, supporting smile when he looked up at her.

For a long moment, no one said anything. I guess I kind of understood what Tucker what saying, but I still didn't share the same betrayal he felt. I'd always known that Danny's secret wouldn't last forever. Dash was practically wetting himself though, glancing from me, to Tucker, and then to Jazz.

"So...is anyone gonna explain this to me?"

Tucker huffed grudgingly.

"Danny's half ghost. He's Danny Phantom." he scowled. I smiled.

"Wait-He's WHAT!"

"Danny Fenton is Danny Phantom. Do we really need to repeat ourselves?" Jeez, I could only tolerate so much of Dash's stupidity.

"But...but-!" Poor kid. "But Fenton can't be _Phantom_! He's puny! And I wailed on him all the time!"

"Yeah, trust me, we know." Dash shrunk under my glare.

"Danny let you beat up on him because he knew he'd hurt you if he fought back." Tucker rounded on him as well, glaring down the once terrifying bully.

"W-why would he do that?" Dash croaked.

"Because Danny is better than you, Dash. He actually thought of something other than himself on a regular basis."

The blonde averted his gaze, still glancing around everywhere in a fit of disbelief.

"You mean all this time...?"

"Ever since freshmen year."

"...so _that's _why Plasmius wants-and why he missed so much class and-ah man! It was Fenton I was fighting with when his stupid Dad shot us with that shrink ray thing?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah. That was Danny."

"Why didn't he ever tell anyone! With that kind of secret Fenton could have ruled the school!"

"In case you hadn't noticed, Danny really isn't into the whole 'ruling' thing. And why do you think he never told anybody? His parents are _ghost hunters_ for Christ's sake. He never would have gotten a moment of peace!"

I watched Dash fold in on himself, head bowing and shoulder's sagging. I honest to God tried to keep my glare up, but now he just looked too pathetic. The blonde looked as though he'd just committed murder, though I guess realizing you've been beating up on your hero on a daily basis is pretty bad too. I stared at him with narrowed eyes before internally groaning. Jeez, I could believe I was about to do this...

"Dash," I sighed, patting his shoulder awkwardly, "Don't feel too bad. Danny pulled plenty of pranks on you to get you back."

"He did?"

"Mhm."

Brows furrowed in the perfect confused troll look, Dash blinked slowly. An equally slow look of dawning comprehension stole over his face, bringing with it a satisfied smile.

"Oh, well...I guess that's not so bad then. It kinda...kinda makes us even."

"I beg to differ." I muttered, but he didn't hear me.

There was a very satisfied feeling in the air once that was finally off everyone's chest. We all kinda stood there smiling at each other (Except for Dash. He was still staring at nothing in amazement).

"I can't believe Fenton's been Phantom this whole time." he breathed for the fifth time.

"Yes Dash, we know."

"So when should we talk to my parents?" Jazz cut off the blonde boy's awed muttering, looking at me expectantly.

"Right now."

Tucker and Jazz looked slightly startled at my abrupt answer, but twin grins spread across their faces almost instantly. I started feeling that old flare of action, just like when we would help Danny fight ghosts. It brought a smile to my own lips and without further ado, I marched off to the Fenton's room.

"Hey, wait for me!" Dash scrambled after us.

The short walk to the other end of the hall seemed filled with opportunity. Maybe my hope was just taking off and over exaggerating the plan, but this refuel-the-Resistance idea had me flying like I hadn't been in weeks. The Fenton's door was upon me in a matter of moments and I didn't hesitate to knock. The scratched doorknob jiggled after a long moment and the door opened a crack. Mr. Fenton's blood-shot eyes made a pang go through my chest, slightly deflating the bubble of happiness. I hadn't realized I'd upset them so much...

"Sam?" He croaked, brows furrowed, "I'm sorry, but now's not a good ti-"

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," I blurted. They had to hear me out.

Jack paused, looking slowly at the small gathering I had behind me. He must have seen some of the desperation in our eyes because the smallest of sighs came from the crack in the door and he opened it wider.

"Come in." He sounded exhausted.

The Fenton room was almost spotless. This was probably because Jazz had been in here on her own for a while and most likely took it upon her self to pick every last piece of dirt off the floor. Sure there were the usual cracks in the walls and the broken heater was dented, but other than that it looked rather cozy. But that wasn't why I was here.

"Sam?" Mrs. Fenton looked up at me too, the same expression of bafflement and then exhaustion ghosting over her face, "Sweetie I know you're upset, but could you please-"

"Wait, just hear me out." I clasped my hands together, hoping I looked as sorry as I felt, "Please."

Mrs. Fenton gave me a forlorn stare, but ultimately gave in, sighing just like her husband.

"What is it, dear?"

"First, I want to say that I'm sorry." Mr. Fenton sat down on the bed next to his wife, both looking at me with relatively blank expressions, "You guys are working yourselves ragged to save Danny and I had no right to accuse you of anything different."

"It's alright. You're right anyways. We aren't any closer to saving Danny than we were two weeks ago." her eyes stared getting watery, "And worse, we left all of you to fend for yourselves. _We're _the ones who should be apologizing."

I frowned, the conversation not going as I wanted to. Self-guilt does not motivate leaders.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, please don't be so hard on yourselves," It was kinda ironic that I was defending the very thing I was yelling about a couple hours ago, but I've long since learned to get used to irony by this point. "You guys were just worried about Danny, we understand. We're worried about him too."

"But we shouldn't have ignored you children. We're supposed to be the adults."

"There's been plenty of other people to help out. No one else could have built a ghost portal, so it's not like it's been a waste."

"But," Ms. Fenton frowned, confusion coloring her tone, "But we're still not any closer to saving Danny."

"That's not true." I shook my head. "We may not be able to bust into Vlad's mansion with the portal right now, but we know all of the allies Danny's managed to accumulate over the years. With their help, we might actually have a shot at saving Danny, and maybe even defeating Vlad as well."

Almost imperceptibly, they sat a little straighter.

"Danny has allies?" Maddie blinked in alarm.

"He talked to ghosts?" Jack started looking a little excited.

"Me, Tucker, and Jazz know all about Danny's ghost life, the ghost zone, and even about Vlad." I smiled. "We can help you come up with a plan to get this Resistance moving and save Danny."

A little spark started burning in the Fenton parent's eyes. Exhaustion was wiped away with dawning stares of hope, small smiles spreading to match. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but even the room seemed to grow a little brighter.

"We can tell you everything we know, and with your resources, we can get everyone involved to help take Vlad down."

"That's a great idea!" Jack bounced, giddy happiness in his eyes.

"But Jazz has already told us a lot," Maddie frowned, "Are you telling me there's _more_?"

"Oh yeah," Tucker winced. "A lot more. Jazz didn't come in the picture till the spectra thing, and even then she wasn't involved in all of Danny's battles."

"Have you...Have you guys heard about the cloning thing?"

I instantly knew the answer once a dark glare shadowed their features.

"Jazz told us about it." Maddie replied, her tone giving _me _the chills.

"Then you guys know about Danni?" Tucker spoke up.

"Danny?" They blinked.

"No, Dann_i_. With an 'I'."

"...who?"

"Oh boy," I muttered, resisting the urge to palm-smack my forehead. "Okay, we should probably do all of this up here and then we can bring it downstairs and let everyone else in on it. But we're gonna need a lot of paper and some pencils-"

"I'll get it!" Dash screamed, instantly jumping up and running out the door.

We all stared at him. Clearly someone didn't want to be excluded from our conversation.

"...oookay then." I shook my head. Every looked at me again, "Is there anyone else you think we should, I dunno, get in on this planning process or something? I mean, Valarie knows a lot about Danny's ghost half, and she even used to work for Vlad-"

"She _did_!" Mrs. Fenton looked appalled.

"Yeah, but she never knew about his ghost half. Apparently he manipulated her from the start, even going so far as to give her all that ghost fighting equipment she's got."

"Why on earth would he do that?"

"Well...Danny told us Vlad was monitoring him with it, or something like that. You know, for the cloning thing." Tucker winced.

That dangerous look came into their eyes again.

"That and Vlad just liked to cause general hell for Danny. Giving one of his friends ghost hunting equipment and fueling a grudge against his ghost half must have been a riot for him." I added flatly.

"Okay," Maddie said curtly, holding up one hand and pressing the other to her temple, "So we know Vlad is psychotic-"

"Got it!" Dash burst in holding a stack of paper and three pencils, taking care to shut the door behind him before setting them on the bed next to the Fentons.

"Thanks Dash." I replied, deadpanned. He sat down on the second bed next to Tucker and Jazz, clearly not intending to move anytime soon.

"Guys, Valarie is on patrol. She's not even hear right now." Jazz spoke up after a brief pause.

"Great." I huffed, "Well she probably wouldn't want to talk to us anyways."

"We can tell her about it when she gets back though." Tucker spoke up, ever the defender of cute girls.

"Sure Tucker."

Maddie picked up the small stack of paper, patting it against her thigh so all the sheets would fall in line. Jack quickly handed her a pencil, looking like an excited toddler again. Maddie looked around for a moment and then stood up. We all watched her yank a drawer out of the dresser and kick the bottom slat of wood out of it. She placed the frame back in he dresser and sat on the bed, her makeshift desk on her lap.

"So we know Vlad is psychotic," she began again, pencil scratching against paper. I couldn't help but smirk a bit, wondering if she was writing that statement down. "Now what's this about-who is it? Danni?"

Me and Tucker glanced at each other, silently agreeing that I'd take this one.

"Danni is the clone Vlad made."

"Whoa-whoa-whoa! You mean he succeeded!" I don't know if Maddie looked more amazed or horrified. Even Jack had his jaw on the ground at this point.

"Kinda." I grimaced. "Danni is a girl."

They didn't have a reply to that one. Maddie and Jack stared at me for the longest time, blinking and failing to make any comments. It wasn't until Maddie shook her head and rubbed her temple for the fiftieth time that they unfroze.

"Okay," she said again, clearly wishing she could put this all behind her, "Tell me more about...Danni. Does she work for Vlad? Is she still...alive?"

"Danni hates Vlad. She spends a lot of her time in the ghost zone though, cause I don't think she's stable-"

"No, Danny fixed that, remember?" Tucker spoke up, and the memory came back to me.

"Oh yeah, duh." I smacked a palm to my head, "He told us he used some de-jecto ecto or something to stabilize her."

"The ecto D-jecto! So _that's _where it disappeared to!" Jack jumped up with the gusto of an investigator solving a murder mystery.

"Yeah. He used that to stabilize her so she won't turn into goop if she uses her powers. We don't know much about what happened though. You'd have to ask Valarie for the details."

"Did Valarie know about Danny's ghost half too?" Maddie furrowed her brows.

"No, not until she came here. But occasionally they would work together whenever Danny managed to get it through her thick head that he wasn't evil."

I probably should have worded that differently. Maddie and Jack shifted on the bed, glancing at the floor guiltily. An awkward silence threatened to stick to the air for a dangerous moment, but luckily we were saved by Jazz.

"We have more to worry about than just Vlad, you know." She said loudly, talking over the silent guilt.

"Yeah, Vlad's a really powerful ghost in the ghost zone, even more so now that he rules this world too," Tucker added on. "He often employed a lot of ghosts to do his dirty work for him, so it's likely that he's doing that now."

"I've heard rumors of some big prison ghost here in the US." Dash unexpectedly spoke up, voice quiet.

"Wait, you mean Walker?" Me and Tucker gapped.

"I guess...?" Dash rose an eye brow.

"Whose Walker?" Maddie asked, although it sounded more like an urgent demand.

"Remember when Amity Park was over run by those solider ghosts? And they were led by a big white ghost in a fedora and white pinstripe suit?"

"Is that the time Phantom-or...Danny-took the mayor hostage?"

"What? Danny didn't take the mayor hostage, he was framed." I couldn't help but laugh a bit. Did they still believe that? "Walker overshadowed the mayor and made it look like Danny was the bad guy so everyone in Amity would hate him. ...and for the record, Danny didn't commit all those robberies when Circus Gothica came to town either. Freakshow was controlling him with that red staff he had."

Maddie and Jack blew a huge sigh of relief, half the tension in their shoulders leaving just like that. They looked like an invisible weight had just been lifted from their shoulders.

"You didn't think Danny had actually done all those things, did you?" This time I did laugh.

"All we had was the evidence from the news," Maddie shrugged awkwardly, "But when we learned Phantom was our _son_, we couldn't believe he'd actually do such a thing. But...we were nervous that...that maybe Vlad had gotten to him just a little bit...or..."

I laughed again, honest humor filling my throat. Tucker sniggered too. Jazz didn't share in our humor though.

"No, trust me, Danny would _never _do anything that fruitloop would do." she frowned, "Vlad frustrated him a lot, and sometimes he confused him, but Danny's always come back to the morals you taught him."

Mr. and Mrs. Fenton smiled proudly for their son. I knew if Danny were here he'd be happier than I've probably ever seen him. One day he would get to see that smile on his parents faces. If nothing else, he at least deserved that.

"What about Vladdie becoming mayor? He said Danny-boy was the one who got him to do it, remember?"

"Oh, that," I snorted. I let Tucker handle this one.

"Danny and Vlad can be pretty stupid sometimes. Though the fruitloop will never admit it. Actually, neither would Danny but that's beside the po-"

"Get on with it Tucker."

"Right. Basically Danny started a who-can-out-prank-who contest with Vlad. _Vlad_. Not one of his better idea's, I'll admit, but it was funny at first. At least until Vlad decided to go over board and become mayor to ruin our lives."

I swear I saw him tearing up a bit, clutching his PDA and remembering dark times during the 'no technology' rule. I took over from there. Tucker was being too dramatic anyways.

"Vlad overshadowed the entire town to swing the election and Danny just barely outsmarted him by taking the shot Vlad fired when trying to put himself in a better light."

"Vlad has the power to do that?" Maddie gasped.

"Do what?"

"Overshadow the entire town! That's incredible!"

"Yeah," I winced, "We weren't kidding when we said he's powerful. Danny told me once that he thinks Vlad holds himself back during their battles, cause sometimes Vlad would be easier to beat and sometimes he'd be harder."

Maddie shook her head, writing something down.

"What are all of Vlad's powers?"

Me and Tucker glanced at each other, not exactly sure...

"Uuuh, well Danny would definitely be able to give you a better answer," Tucker winced, "But we know he's got the usual stuff-you know, flying, invisibility, intangibility, ecto rays-but we think he has a better control over them than most ghosts."

Maddie wrote all of this down.

"Yeah, he can duplicate a clone of himself as a ghost _while _he's human. Danny can barely keep four clones stabilized." I frowned. "But from watching him fight, we know he has a degree of control over electricity, various shields, and we believe he can kind of like, warp the ectoplasm he uses to suit his needs. Like that tornado thing he made? And one time Danny said he formed a sword out of ectoplasm, though that's not really hard to do. Basically we should assume Vlad can do just about everything short of forming portals, and that he's _really good _at everything he can do."

The pencil was flying across the paper, Maddie's expression darkening with every scribble. The hopefulness in the two parents eyes had considerably dimmed thanks to our run down of Vlad's powers. I didn't really blame them though.

"Is there any way we _can_ beat him?" Maddie frowned, irritation thick in her voice.

"I think if we get Danny away from him, he'll fall apart real fast. As crazy as he is, Vlad's always been after one main thing, and that's companionship. Without Danny he'll be lonely and weak, and that's when we can beat him."

"Yeah, or he'll go even crazier and blow us all up in a fit of rage." Tucker threw in. Unnecessarily, might I add. I glared at him.

"I want our first priority getting my baby back." Maddie said, her voice thick. "Vlad can wait, I don't want Danny spending any more time with that man if I can help it."

We all nodded in solemn agreement, the moment heavy with the urgency of our mission. God knows what Vlad motives are anymore, but right now that doesn't really matter. We know enough about him to know that, for the sake of humanity, he _needs _to be taken out. It sure as hell won't be easy, and it probably won't happen as fast as we'd all hoped either. For all of his faults, Vlad isn't stupid. It's going to take a lot more than a thermos to defeat him. Luckily though, I've had two weeks to think this through...

"I've got a plan."


	8. Chapter 8

So I remembered that's Sam's mom's name is actually Pamela...and I like it a lot better than Claire so I'm exercising my right as author and changing it. Someday I'll be a better person and will go back to other chapters to change Claire to Pamela, but until then...whatev.

And I know, again with the three month updates. -_-' I don't even know what to say anymore, so I'm just gonna shut up and keep trying to update as fast as I can.

ENOY! ...And I'm sorry it's not about Danny and Vlad. I feel bad for taking so long, so the next chapter will be about them. (I was gonna make Ch 9 more Resistance focused, see?)

* * *

The air was deathly silent. Bright sunlight blazed from the sky, lighting up the darkest cracks and throwing mounds of rubble into sharp relief. Silent ruins loomed overhead, no birds perched on their crumbling edges. I waited, crouched behind a decimated wall. There wasn't a sound from the empty streets. No wind, either. Everything was dead.

Carefully, I rose my hand and clicked the miniature flashlight two times. A few seconds later the pattern was echoed back from a cracked window roughly twenty feet away. I waited for thirty seconds before light footsteps made it to my ears. A thin, blonde woman bounded past an open lot and ducked behind a rock, waiting a moment before making her way toward me again. Panting breath matched the footsteps and suddenly Nora was beside me, sweating and covered in dirt.

"Anything?" I whispered.

"No, we're good. Where's Rolland and Logan?"

"Still waiting for the signal."

She frowned, the concern clear in light blue eyes, blue eyes that looked so much like her sister's.

We waited on baited breath, neither of us saying a word. Nora wiped some sweat from her brow, using the moisture to push a few stray strands of hair back into her ponytail. We kept waiting. I glanced around the corner, eyes peeled for the signal that should have come three minutes ago. Nora started wringing her hands together.

"There!" I hissed, two flashes coming from a doorway.

We didn't have time to breathe in relief. I responded with my own flashes and quickly ran into the open, heart hammering against my chest. Nora was right behind me, long legs easily keeping up with my short stature. I felt so exposed in the hot sun, the vulnerability pushing me faster. We made it to the doorway without a hitch though, rushing through the broken threshold and sliding to a stop. Rolland turned his silent head back to the doorway once we were in the safety of cover, keeping watch. Logan shifted his weight beside us, fiddling with his gun.

"Logan, stay _still_." Nora whispered irritably, panting a bit. He grinned impishly, though the paranoia was still lingering in his face. I narrowed my eyes at our untimely partners.

"Why were you guys late?"

"Ghost battalion." Rolland's deep voice answered, "Had to wait it out."

"And the cameras?"

"Up and operational."

"Good." I breathed, taking a deep breath and standing straight. Tucker would kill me if I broke his tech. Rolland, Logan, and Nora waited for orders as I walked to the doorway, looking down the streets. Everything was still quiet, but there was no telling when the next guard would march through here. We had to chance it. I turned back to the group.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do." They crowded around me, "The hotel is a block and a half away. Logan, Rolland, you two run over to the left side of the street and go from there. Me and Nora will take this side and meet you in the lobby of the Resistance. Watch out for alleys, you know how ghouls like to hide out in there."

Rolland nodded, shouldering his blaster when I nodded for them to go. Logan stood straight and saluted with a grin, gun in hand. Nora did a double take and gasped at the sight of a deep cut running along the side of his palm.

"Logan, what did you do to your hand?" she whisper yelled.

"I fell."

She pursed her lips, glaring at him. I quickly intervened before they could start bickering. Again.

"Go now while the streets are clear, and wait for us in the lobby." I glared at Logan. He winked and without looking either way, rushed across the street. Nora about had a heart attack.

"Valarie." Rolland's low voice grabbed my attention, "Be careful crossing the street down the block. I don't know where that other battalion was heading."

I nodded once and he was gone too.

"Come on." I muttered to Nora, who was glancing fearfully at the spot our comrades disappeared from.

As silent as shadows we ghosted through the crumpled buildings. For all of the tension poisoning the air, it was an uneventful trek down the ruined street. I kept an eye on Nora, but she didn't need me too. Her eyes and ears were pealed for the slightest disturbance, finger held steady over the trigger. In the short weeks that we'd worked with each other, she'd come a long way from the clumsy, inexperienced woman I first met. I remember the day she stumbled up to me and demanded that I take her on patrol, shaking with anger and fear. She'd never been in a fight, and judging from the blonde hair and tattered designer clothes she'd been wearing, I had hesitated to agree. But her persistence won over and Nora proved me wrong, fighting with the passion in her broken heart. I later found out that her sister had been killed by the ghouls, which explained her ferocity. Apparently they'd been really close, closer then they ever let on. When news of Star's death reached her ears, she turned into something of an animal, fighting for vengeance and hate and all the things pretty blonde girls like her shouldn't be fighting for. Since then she'd become an invaluable member of our rag-tag team, watching out for us and making sure Logan didn't do something stupid.

In no time at all the familiar hotel was looming over us. I did a last double check of the streets, taking note of the empty silence, and we ran as fast as we could to the safety of the Resistance. In seconds we tumbled through the door, Rolland quickly closing it behind us. I expected the lobby to be as dead silent as the streets, but to my alarm a loud chatting filled the air. The breath I was hoping to catch caught in my throat at the buzzing talk, and I looked around in bewilderment at the crowd of people marching to the basement.

"What's going on?" I hissed, gripping my gun and feeling a trill of nervousness thanks to the chatter.

They were coming from all the hotel rooms, muttering and talking excitedly. I glanced out at the empty streets again, already envisioning the worst if a battalion marched through and looked through the broken windows. Why was everyone going to the basement? Then, to my horror, I heard someone _yelling_ down the hall.

"Get these people quiet!" I hissed to my team, taking off to strangle the shouting man.

I didn't need to look back to make sure they were following my order. I've never had a reason to doubt them. It's almost funny how they listen to me like I'm their leader. I'm supposed to be fifteen and they're all up in their twenties, yet even from the beginning there was no question as to who ran things with patrol... I shoved my way through the crowd, ignoring the indignant protests around me and telling people to shut up.

"If you want to take your lives back, head down to the base-oof!" I dived at the bellowing, balding man, pinning him to the ground and shoving the barrel of my gun against his head.

"Are you out of your freaking mind?" I hissed, glaring fire. The people around us instantly settled down. "We're in the middle of a freakin war zone and you're _shouting_? Do you _want_ to get us all killed?"

The man stared at me with wide, terrified eyes, lower lip trembling. He reminded me of a fish, for some reason. I narrowed my eyes, removing the gun from his temple. Immediately he let out a sigh of relief and some of the tension left his shoulders, but the fear was still clear in his eyes.

"Tell me what's going on." I demeaned, narrowing my eyes and pretending I didn't care that he was scared of me, "Why's everybody making so much racket?"

"T-The Fentons." he stuttered, "T-They finished the portal."

My eyes widened a fraction, but I didn't take the glare off, waiting for him to continue.

"W-we were told to go to the basement if we...wanted to finally take a stand against King Plasmius..."

Instantly, I shoved my gun against his head again, making him yelp.

"Do _not _call him that." I hissed, seeing red. "That traitor doesn't deserve _any _kind of honor."

He bubbled apologies, nodding his head frantically and holding back tears. Before I could really reflect on how cruel I was being, a large hand suddenly rested on my shoulder. Immediately, I jumped into action, leaping off the balding man and pointing my gun at Rolland's head. He was staring at me in disappointment.

Rolland reached down and helped the shaking man up, not saying a word. My anger flooded out. Thick gobs of shame dragged my arms down until they were hanging limply at my side. The balding man stumbled, looking at us both nervously and slowly inching away.

"You're crazy, girl." he stuttered, running away.

My eyes flashed angrily for a second, but a quick look from Rolland silenced that. I looked away, once again pretending that I didn't care. _At least everyone is quiet. _I thought bitterly. My partner sighed and shook his head, as though he knew what I was thinking. With a simple jerk, he motioned me to follow, parting the crowed and meeting back up with our friends by the door.

"So I heard the Fenton's got that portal thingy done." Logan smirked when we stood next to him, watching the now near-silent crowd shuffle downstairs.

"Logan, let me see you're hand, it looks infected." Nora reached out, huffing angrily when the taller male pulled his injury away from her.

"I'm fine, Nor, stop being such a worry wort." he scathed.

Me and Rolland stared emotionlessly at the crowd, guns in hand. I felt like a solider, only the bad kind. People gave us scared and apprehensive looks as they passed, but at least it was quiet. I occasionally glanced outside for any signs of ghosts, but so far we were safe.

"Seriously, Logan, knock it off!"

"What's wrong Norrie? Not tall enough?"

"Don't call me that!"

"Guys. Shut up." I said tiredly, not taking my eyes off the crowd. Logan and Nora glanced at me, but thankfully submitted to my request. Though Logan still wouldn't let Nora see his injury.

The beginnings of exhaustion started creeping up, lulling me into a zombie state. I almost didn't care that the ghost portal was done, or that it seemed the Resistance was finally starting to pick up. It was all probably some big mistake anyways. I just wanted to go to sleep and wake up when things were back to normal, whatever _normal _was.

"Hey," Rolland said quietly, nudging my shoulder, "You okay?"

I shrugged because that was as close to the truth as I was willing to go.

He continued to stare at me, the concern not hidden in his big brown eyes. I glanced at him, sighing and forcing my weaker emotions away. Self pity parties weren't going to accomplish squat, anyways. Unfortunately, Rolland wasn't stupid and easily saw through my front. He also knew how stubborn I was though, and relented his stare with a sigh as well.

"You should try talking to Jazz. She's a good listener."

I didn't reply at first, shrugging again.

"She's really busy. I don't wanna be a bother."

"I'm sure you won't be, Valarie."

Again, I shrugged. There was another reason I didn't want to talk to Jazz. It's bad enough that I have to see her and her parents everyday. Every time I happen to look into their vacant, dejected eyes, a near unbearable wave of guilt always threatens to crush me. The idea of having an in-depth conversation with Jazz about _my_ problems felt almost insulting. What right to I have to complain when a large part of Danny's kidnapping is my fault?

"I think that's the last few." Logan eyed the stragglers, walking to the hall and looking down both ends. "Come on, there's no more left. Lets go see what's going on!"

He took off. Nora, predictably, ran after him. Me and Rolland followed after a last double check, not quite as enthusiastic as our other teammates. I made sure to close the door tightly behind us, already hearing a low tone of chatter from behind the other door at the bottom of the stairs. I still didn't quite know how to feel about the ghost portal being completed. It felt a little unreal.

Rolland glanced back at me when we reached the last door, pushing it open and into a massive crowd of people. Immediately the tone of chatter doubled, uninhibited by the thick metal. I felt my muscles tense up automatically. People glanced in our direction when we entered and tried to give us a berth, but everyone was squeezed in so tightly there was barely enough room to wiggle. Rolland and I eventually forced ourselves in, attempting to pick around the chaos and not get squashed against the wall. This was just _crazy_.

"People!" From beyond the endless talking someone was beating what sounded like a pot with a rock, "Hey! Listen!"

The little voice was swallowed by the disorganization though, and everyone just kept buzzing. Someone stepped on my foot and another person accidentally shoved me. I grit my teeth angrily, irritation doubling from the lack of room. And some person was trying to control this crowd with a rock? There was no way that little pot was going to silence all these people. Rolland looked at me sharply when I pulled out my pistol, but I told him not to worry.

"It's just crowd control." I muttered irritably, and fired at the wall.

The loud bang that emitted from the gun immediately quieted everyone down, so much so that is was almost eerie. A few people screamed, but their blind fear and the lack of room prevented anyone from running away. Instead they froze and looked at me like a deer in the headlights, mouths sealed. I blew the smoke curling from the barrel away, glaring.

"Now why don't you all shut-up so we can hear what the Fenton's have to say?" I yelled, earning a strangled silence in response.

There was a long pause.

"Uh...Thanks Valarie." Sam called awkwardly, voice carrying over the quiet crowd. It was then that I realized she was the one banging a pot with a rock.

The people in the crowd slowly turned their hesitant gazes to her, waiting for some kind of inspirational speech that would fire them up and lead to a revolution or something. Sam gazed back, as though she were taking the time to look each and every one of them in the eye. With quiet returned and people no longer shoving, my irritation died in lieu of curiosity. I actually started feeling a little apprehensive myself, waiting on pins and needles to hear what she was going to say. After all, what else could possibly be said at this point?

"We all know why were hiding down in this hole like rats." She said, voice strong despite the lack of a microphone.

"We've all lost parents or siblings or some kind of family member in the last two weeks." Even from this distance I could see her eyes shadow, her own misery breaking through the thick walls she'd surrounded herself with. Sam quickly pushed her pain away though, focusing back on the crowed with a beginning fire in her eyes.

"We've all suffered because of _him_, to the point where our lives will never be the same again. However, that doesn't mean we need to keep cowering in this hole. Vlad seems to think that he can murder our families and burn our houses without facing the consequences, but he is _wrong_!"

I stared at her, expressionless. However, I couldn't doubt my appreciation for the pure fire and anger creeping into Manson's tone.

"I, for one, am _done_ taking Vlad's crap. He's just another stuffed-up, arrogant billionaire who thinks he can boss us around. The only reason he thinks he's the ruler of the world is because _we _let him! Well you know what? I'm _done_. I'm done wallowing in this stupid hotel and I'm done crying and wishing all of this had never happened. The fact of that matter is that it _did_ happen, and if we ever want to put a stop to it we need to get on our feet and fight!"

It was slow going, but people started murmuring in agreement, some nodding their heads with their own fire smoldering in their eyes. A glance at Rolland told me he was listening to every word Sam said, taking it to heart.

"You all have been waiting to hear this, so I'll just go ahead and spit it out. The ghost portal is up and operational-" an outbreak of chattering swept the room, and at the same time Jack pressed a button and opened the security doors.

Immediately, the chatter choked on awed gasps. The sound filled the room as every singe person felt the unnatural chill of the ghost zone creep over them. Even all the way in the back I still shivered, narrowing my eyes at the green tint washing the many expressions of amazement. Sam looked back at the glowing green portal, appearing eerily powerful in the sharp relief it was throwing her in. I could tell by her silence and stance that the mere sight of the portal was affirming her resolve, though I couldn't blame her. The swirling green vortex seemed to captivate everyone in the room, including me. Seeing it with my own two eyes-something tangible that had _finally _been accomplished in these two long weeks of waiting-must have been the trick. It left a sudden realization sitting in the bottom of my stomach, determined and angry, and it hit me that I was fed up with waiting too.

In fact, I felt like flying to Vlad's castle and kicking his ass right now.

"Maddie and Jack have finished the portal," Sam started up again, voice holding a new kind of strength. Her next sentence caused a stir though. "With it, we can infiltrate Vlad's castle and even get some help from the ghost zone-"

"The ghost zone? Are you crazy?"

"That's where those monsters _came _from!"

"I don't think-"

"Listen!" Sam frowned, "There's a lot more to this whole situation than any of you realize, so if you'll just shut up for a few more minutes, I'll tell you what's going on!"

The crowed responded with cool silence, waiting with moderate patience. Sam still had a hard look in her eyes, looking nothing like a fifteen year old standing on a table and more like a hardened woman demanding attention. As jealous and bitter as I was of the Goth, I couldn't help but be impressed.

"We _need _to get help from the ghost zone because we can't win against Vlad by ourselves! Contrary to popular belief, not all ghost's are evil, or have you already forgotten about Danny Phantom?"

I understood the fury in her tone, starting to feel it myself though I didn't deserve to. People in the crowd either looked to the floor in shame or met Sam's eyes with the same furious glare, sharing her indignation. I was surprised that not too many people rolled their eyes and disregarded her words. Maybe Danny wasn't as forgotten as I'd thought. Or maybe it takes the end of the world for people to get over themselves and shamelessly cling to the tinniest scrap of hope they can manage.

"We have a plan that stands a pretty good chance of working, but it'll only come together if we have your help and support!" More people were nodding their heads, murmuring in agreement, "There are a lot of angry people down here, and I don't know about you, but I wanna show _King _Plasmius just how angry I am!" A few people shouted calls of agreement.

"With the Fenton's help we can build a real Resistance! We don't have to lay on our backs and take Vlad's rule because this is _our _world, _not his_! Think of your dead parents, or your sister, or your brother! Do we want their deaths to be in vain? Do we want our future generations to grow up under the iron fist of a murderous dictator? Do we want to _condemn_ the rest of _humanity _to cowering in this hell hole? _No!_"

I jumped when a large portion of the crowed bellowed in unison with Sam's cry, anguish and anger on numerous faces. So many fists were clenched and the potentially explosive tension in the air was already feeling tight.

"We can't let Vlad get away with this!" Sam continued to yell, stomping her foot, "If we don't take a stand we're not any better than he is, and I for one, will _NOT _insult my dad's memory like that!"

People cheered in agreement. I felt like I should be feeling nervous about the noise levels, but Sam's words had already struck me.

"Vlad's gonna pay for taking our lives away!" She screamed, anguish in her own voice, "He's gonna pay for burning our houses, for murdering our loved ones, and most importantly, he's gonna pay for _taking our hero!_"

People cheered in agreement, fists pumping the air. More were looking at her in confusion though, wanting to hear the truth about Phantom's disappearance. Sam didn't hesitate, and she told more than I ever expected her to.

"Danny Phantom is currently locked away in that god forsaken mansion because he never gave up on us! I don't care what your opinion is on him, you can't deny that he's saved this city on more than one occasion! And you know what's worse? Even though he risks his life-not his afterlife, his _life_-for us, we still treat him with distain! He's sacrificed more than we can understand and he needs your help now! No matter what your opinion on him is, no matter what grudge you have, I ask-no, _beg_-that you let it go! Not because we need to stick together now, not because we _need _his help to take down Vlad, but because he's just like you and me! A human!"

The cheering strangled itself into silence. No one spoke. No one moved.

"Danny Phantom isn't just a ghost!" For one impossible second, I was sure Sam was on the verge of tears. That single sentence felt like it held the weight of an entire lifetime, falling from Sam's agonized mouth and crashing to the ground. "Danny Phantom is a fifteen year old kid who went to Casper High and spent his nights protecting all of you instead of studying for his classes. He never gave up on you, even when all of you gave up on him... I watched my best friend almost destroy himself with the weight off all that responsibility, and now, when he needs our help the most, we _can't_ abandon him."

The basement was silent. Countless wide-eyed stares gazed at Sam, several mouths hanging open. No one dared interrupt the shaking goth as she took a deep shuddering breath, revealing a secret that'd clearly weighed heavily on her for a long time.

"Danny Phantom is only half ghost." She cried hoarsely, looking at the ground. "...He...He's-"

"_He's my son!_"

Instantly, those countless stares snapped to the direction the agonized cry had come, scandaled gasps filling the room. Maddie Fenton climbed onto the table, putting a hand on Sam's shoulder and meeting the trembling girl's eyes with a tender stare before looking out at the appalled crowd. I watched as she took a shuddering breath of her own, more than just misery weighing her down. She met the stares of the Resistance with her own pain-filled eyes, looking so small on top of that table.

"He's my son..." She repeated, ultimately unable to look at them and staring at the ground. I noticed Jack Fenton move beside the table she was standing on, holding her limp hand tightly.

"Because of my own mistakes, our son become half-ghost...but...but he never told us. ...I-I shot at him..." a few tears slid down her face, her confession making her voice tremble, "I didn't know Phantom was my own baby...and I..."

The crowed waited patiently, many looking to the ground in sorrow. Maddie took a few moments to swallow her pain, roughly wiping the tears away with her free hand. It seemed like ages before she began speaking again, though when she finally did her voice had lost its tremble.

"Danny fought for all of us, even though we never appreciated him or made the effort to understand him. ...Even when Vlad broke down our front door, he never stopped fighting..." Her distant gaze snapped up from the floor, looking at all of us with hardened, amethyst eyes. "Danny Phantom deserves better than what we all have given him, and at the very least he deserves to be rescued from that insane man's clutches."

A chill settled over the room that had nothing to do with the open ghost portal. Maddie looked rather frightening up there, giving us all a taste of a mother's fury.

"I want freedom just as much as you do, but I will _not _leave my baby boy, _you're hero_, in the hands of that villain! Vlad has no limits, and if you think he'll stop at killing children and burning countries then you are wrong! We _must _stop him now before he becomes too powerful, we _must _get back the only hope this world has anymore! I never knew what Danny did for us until it was too late, and now Vlad Masters has my son locked away in that mansion!"

Mrs. Fenton had a wild look in her eyes, one of such desperation that it stuck everyone in the room. I couldn't look away from her, so mesmerized by the pure passion and fire in her voice.

"We _need _to work together on this! My husband and I can't do it alone! Danny Phantom has allies in the ghost zone that will help us fight Vlad! We have the resources to build an army big enough to storm his mansion! We have the _will_ to make it work! This is what makes us human, _this _is what separate us from the ghosts who destroyed our lives! No longer are we on our own, struggling with personal revenge and lonely grief! We won't let our loved ones deaths be in vain!"

People were cheering.

"We won't stand by and let Vlad destroy our world!"

Countless fists punched the air.

"We'll fight to get our lives back, we'll get our _children's_ lives back, and we'll _win_!"

"YEAH!" Everyone bellowed in unison.

The crowed went nuts. My legs felt stiff from the layer of goosebumps, Mrs. Fenton's words still ringing in my ears. Any fatigue from earlier was _gone_. I felt ready to take over the world myself, in fact. I joined in with the cheering, feeling for the first time that I was apart of something greater, of something that would really make a _difference_. It was hard to believe that barely an hour ago I'd been ready to give up on life in general.

I never caught Rolland looking down at me with a pleased smile as the crowed cheered all around us. I was too busy feeling fifteen again, the weight of life lifted for just this moment and replaced with the lightheartedness of hope. It took a long time to settle everyone down too, and even then Mrs. Fenton had to yell over the excited chatter of everyone in the room. People were just too hyped up and ready to storm Vlad's mansion _now_. The energy in the room was so exhilarating that I couldn't stop grinning, and I haven't smiled since the day my Dad lost his arm.

Thinking of him, I decided to go and find him. Rolland saluted me off and I dove into the frenzied mess. The crowd was even more difficult to maneuver through now, but I pushed my way across the room and into the infirmary space. Tucker's mom gave me the scariest death glare when I stumbled across her invisible line, but when she saw it was me she relaxed.

"Oh, hello Valarie," She smiled despite the bags under her eyes, "Your Dad is in his usual spot."

"Thanks Mrs. Foley." I nodded, swiftly weaving my way over to him.

As expected, he was wide awake and watching the crowd, looking ready to join the jumping, excited mass. Mrs. Fenton was yelling over the cheers again, telling everyone what to do to help get some organization worked out. Something told me they were gonna be very busy for the next several hours. I watched Mr. Fenton close the portal and the chattering crowd for a few more moments, and then turned back to my father.

"Hey Daddy," I sighed, kneeling beside him and resting a hand on his good arm, "How're you feeling?"

"I'm doing great sweetie." he smiled, motioning for me to put my hand in his and squeezing it comfortingly. "I should be ready to move around in a couple days."

"Good." I breathed, feeling the relief ease some of the tension in my face. For a while there I had been terrified that I was gonna loose him. "I can show you around the entire resistance then. Don't worry, it's not as crappy as it looks."

Dad chuckled, glancing at the jittery crowd again.

"No, I suppose it's not, at least not anymore. That was some speech, huh?"

"Yeah. ...I think things are gonna be a lot better, Dad. We're gonna win this fight."

"I certainly hope so," he nodded, shifting his body and sitting up, but I caught the wince he tried to hide.

"Dad! Don't strain yourself!"

He snorted.

"What? You think I'm made of glass? I'm fine, sweetie." his gentle smile came back, "If it were up to me I'd already be walking around."

"Good thing it's not up to you then." I muttered.

I watched my Dad get comfortable on the thin mat. He moved too slowly for my liking, giving away the pain that lied below. I couldn't do anything but watch him though, hoping the pain in my own eyes wasn't showing. A guilty surge charged through me when I glanced at the stump of his remaining left arm. No matter how happy I ever felt, seeing my mistakes on someone I cared about always brought me down.

"Valarie, what's wrong?" Dad's concerned voice broke through the guilt. He tilted my chin up, looking me in the eyes. He knew what was wrong though. "You know I've told you this a million times. What happened isn't your fault. I'm not mad at you."

His words didn't really help, but they worked enough for me to plaster a convincing smile on my face. I pushed the dark thoughts away, shelving them for the next time I got in a fight with a ghost. Dad pet my knotted, dirty hair, smiling down at me for a moment before cringing at my head.

"You know, we should really find you a shower honey."

I laughed, swatting his hand away. Dad smiled, leaning back against the wall.

"I've actually thought about just chopping it all off." I replied smartly, matting the mess on my head.

"That might be a better option than the dreadlocks that are starting to form." he replied, mustache quirked.

I sat by my Dad for a long time, laughing, joking, and pretending we weren't sitting in the basement of a broken down hotel. We watched the crowd slowly congeal into some type of organized mass as people peppered the Fenton's, Sam, and Tucker with questions. They looked incredibly busy, but at the same time, completely happy. I thought I caught Sam glancing at me a few times, but whenever I looked at her she was deep in conversation with someone.

"I'm going to be in charge of patrol as soon as I can walk around." My Dad suddenly spoke up, immediately taking my attention away from the goth.

"You're what? !"

"I'm going to be in charge of patrol." he repeated, and I swear I saw the smallest of smirks curling his mustache, "I may not be able to stop you from going on patrol, but at least I can be in charge of _where_ you go. For the most part anyway."

"Daaad!"

"Don't 'Dad' me. You've given me enough heart attacks young lady, I'd say you owe me this."

I half glared at him, pouting. It was hard to stay mad at him even when I really was genuinely irritated. I knew he was only worried about me.

"...I just don't want you to end up like that Fenton boy." he said quietly.

My heart twinged at the mentioning of Danny, but I understood where my Dad was coming from. He's always known about my ghost fighting, but he never realized _who _I was actually working for or even where I got the weapons from. I told him about Vlad and now he seems convinced that Masters has it out for me, which I'm inclined to believe as well. However, even though I may now be on my former employers hit list, that still wasn't gonna stop me from taking him down. Not after everything he's done.

"I'll be fine, Dad." I replied, saying the same thing I always say, "I've got Rolland, Nora, and Logan to look out for me."

He sighed, knowing there was no use arguing.

"You're as stubborn as your mother, you know that?"

"I know," I smiled wanly, "You tell me that all the time."

For a relieved moment I thought that would be an end to the heavy conversation, but an unexpected voice called over the buzzing sounds of people and stopped me in my tracks.

"Valarie!"

"Sam?"

I spun around to see the Goth girl walking toward me with purposeful strides. Her face was set in a determined glare, a look that meant business. I stood and met her look with my own cool stare, crossing my arms.

"Valarie, I need to talk to you."

"What about?" I asked stiffly.

"About Danny."

My eyes narrowed a fraction, but I didn't move, waiting for her to go on. She rolled her eyes.

"Not _here_." she said impatiently.

"Anything you have to say can be said in front of my Dad, Manson." I stuck out my hip and crossed my arms, further emphasizing that I wasn't moving.

"It's not your Dad I'm particularly worried about," She scowled, "If you haven't noticed, this basement is full of people."

I glared, trying to decide what I wanted more: find out what Sam has to say about Danny or make things difficult for Sam and not move. Her impatience started running thin and she clenched her fists.

"Look, if you don't wanna help us save Danny then fine! Just stay here and mope around like everyone else!"

"Excuse me? I'm the only one whose actually been _doing _anything for the past two weeks. I don't see you out on patrol risking your life to help feed and medicate these people down here."

Sam flushed with anger.

"What would you know about helping people, _Valarie_? Not too long ago you used to spend everyday trying to destroy your own friend."

"You shut your mouth, Manson!"

"No! You shut yours!"

"Girls! Both of you knock it off!" My Dad exploded.

People close by were giving us bewildered stares, but that was the last thing I cared about. I was too busy clenching my teeth and digging my nails into my palms, glaring at the girl in front of me. Sam, with a likewise stance, refused to back down, her amethyst eyes absolutely glowing with anger.

"Look," she hissed quietly. I had to lean in to hear. "This isn't about me and you. The Resistance needs your help in an under-the-table plan that might fix all of this-and I mean _everything_-in one fell swoop. Can we count on you or not?"

"..."

"Valarie." My Dad said warningly.

"Fine. I'll help. But only for Danny."

"Oh, sure, _now _you wanna help him." Sam muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. I glared, but let it pass, waiting for her to explain this 'plan'.

"Come on, we can't talk about this here. Tucker's waiting by the tech station." she said grudgingly, turning around and not waiting to make sure I was following.

I narrowed my eyes in irritation.

"Ugh! Can you believe her!" I snapped, hands in fists. I turned to Dad, ready to rant and rave, but the look he was giving me put a stop to that.

"What?" I blinked.

"You know, you weren't being very nice to her either, young lady," he frowned, clearly not impressed.

"But she-!"

"Valarie." He looked at me the way only a Dad can, my defense dying out and gaze turned to the ground shamefully.

"...Sorry Dad."

"Hm," He nodded in satisfaction, brown eyes lightening, "Good. Now go tell that to Sam. She's the one who needs to hear it."

I didn't quite reply, shifting my weight and feeling fifteen again only this time not enjoying it so much. He accepted my half hearted nod, kissing my cheek when I swooped down to give him a hug.

"Don't hold onto grudges, Valarie." He whispered in my ear. "Nothing good ever comes out of it."

My Dad's words of wisdom were painfully appropriate, and I couldn't help but wince in response. They were still echoing around my head when I ran off to track down Tucker, occasionally swimming with flashes of Vlad Master's face. The techno geek in question was hastily picking up electrical cords when I found him, bent over his little 'tech space' and snapping at anyone who got close to stepping on something. I looked around for Sam, but didn't see her anywhere. Tucker hadn't noticed me yet either.

"Hey." I spoke up, and he jumped, dropping an armful of cords.

"Oh! Hey Valarie!" He smiled, though it was a little forced. "Sam already talk to you?"

"Yeah, she said you were waiting on me..."

"Yeah, yeah, one sec, just let me find..." his voice trailed off, picking through a pile on the floor before grabbing a mysterious, complicated looking item and placing it on one of the TVs displaying the surveillance areas. Tucker stood straight and cracked his back, double checking the junk around him with a satisfied smile before suddenly grabbing my hand.

"Come on, we're up here." he said excitedly.

"We?"

Tucker either ignored me or didn't hear me, pushing through the slightly more manageable crowd with relative ease. My hand twitched in his, but I didn't pull it away for fear of loosing him. He seemed pretty comfortable leading me around, despite the less than pleasant attitude I've been guilty of giving him these past couple weeks. I kept my mouth shut and followed him through the throngs of people, curiosity about this secret planned successfully piqued now that I wasn't glaring at the goth girl.

"If you see Dash, duck." Tucker said quietly to me as we hugged the wall.

It was less crowded back towards the basement door, so I finally extracted my hand from Tucker's and followed behind him. I noticed he was quieter than usual, and would occasionally glance back at me curiously, but otherwise the walk wasn't too awkward. We finally reached the basement door and slipped through it, out into the significantly quieter stairway.

"Jeez, it's a mad house in there." he muttered, though I wasn't sure if that was to himself or to me. Tucker glanced back at me as though to make sure I was still there, running up the steps after a quick, "Come on."

"Where are we going, Tucker?" I asked as we approached the lobby.

Tucker opened the door and let me through first, the dead air making me shiver unconsciously.

"The Fenton's room. Maddie, Jack, and Jazz won't be here cause they're busy with getting everything downstairs organized, but we figured we should let you in on the plan as soon as possible."

"What plan?" I rose an eyebrow, but Tucker shook his head.

"Sam will claw my eyes out if I mention it where someone could hear. Come on, the room is right down the hall."

I huffed at his unreasonableness, but followed anyways. I wasn't exactly looking forward to a private meeting with these two, but the curiosity over this secret plan was starting to kill me. Sam was just exaggerating when she said it might fix _everything_, right?

Me and Tucker silently made our way down the hall, only slightly conscious of the awkwardness between us. It didn't get any better when he creaked open the door to the Fenton's surprisingly clean suit, revealing a waiting Sam. She narrowed her eyes at us when we walked in and I was already irritated. However, for Danny's sake I ignored it, wanting to hear this...plan.

"Took you long enough." Sam muttered, though I wasn't sure if it was to me or Tucker.

Tucker, probably judging from the glare I was giving her, quickly intervene and assumed she was talking to him.

"Sorry, it was hard to push through the crowd." he winced.

She glanced at me stoically and then back to Tucker, motioning for us to come in and shut the door. I remained tense and didn't take my eyes off Sam, even when Tucker relaxed on one of the beds. For a pregnant moment, none of us really knew what to do. It was Sam who broke the silence, using her best form of blunt communication.

"So you know Danny's half ghost." She said, just a little hostility in her tone.

"Yeah." I replied stiffly.

It was quiet again. The only thing that would have made this silence more cliché was a ticking clock. Tucker shuffled uneasily on the bed, having troubling picking a spot to look. Me and Manson had our smoldering stare off, waiting for something to happen though neither of us knew what it was. Finally, someone snapped.

"Ugh, can you two knock it off for five seconds so we can get something done? Why are you even mad at each other?"

Sam glared in Tucker's direction, and I watched the techno geek swallow his words.

"I dunno, Tucker, why don't you ask Valarie? _She's _the one treating us like a bunch of criminals, which is ironic when you think about it."

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean, Manson?"

"I dunno. Why don't you go ask your old employer? And while your there, go ahead and try obliterating Danny one more time. Just for old times sake."

Tucker reacted with reflexes I didn't know he had and held me back before I pounced on the little-

"Hey, HEY!" Tucker yelled, looking somewhere between scared and angry himself. Mostly angry though. "Will you two just _stop_? The longer you fight like a bunch of babies the longer Danny's locked up with that fruitloop. Jesus..."

I was still glaring at Sam and she was still glaring at me, but at least I wasn't trying to punch her face in anymore. Tucker hopped off when I shrugged his hands away, glancing at him and muttering a grudging word of "Thanks." Things probably would have just been worse had I started a fist fight with Manson.

Tucker slowly backed away, clearly waiting for me or Sam to run at each other again. He returned to his seat on the bed with surrendering hands held up, trying this again.

"Alright, now if everybody would just calm down..." He looked at me apprehensively, but I didn't respond. "And...well I guess this is mainly for Valarie," He shifted awkwardly, turning his body and talking to me specifically.

"We've got a plan and we need your help."

"I gathered that much."

"Right," Tucker winced, "Well it's about this ghost in the ghost zone. His name is Clockwork and he controls time."

I snorted in disbelief. Sam glared, but kept impressively quite.

"No, seriously," Tucker continued, eyes wide and honest, "He's known as the Master of Time. Me and Sam aren't even sure he's really a ghost, but he's helped Danny out before in a situation similar to this, so we're hoping-."

"A situation similar to this?" I scathed, "Are you kidding me?"

"No, actually we're completely serious." Sam glared, not an ounce of a joke in her tone.

I glared at her, but didn't respond. Tucker glanced exasperatedly towards Sam and myself, continuing in an forcefully level voice.

"Anyways...we're hoping that he'll help us again, but Clockwork's kinda of a hard guy to figure out, so we don't wanna tell the whole Resistance about it yet."

"You mean he might say no?" I said, deadpanned, "He doesn't sound like the best ghost to rely on. And what do you mean, 'a situation similar to this'?"

"At this point, we don't really have a choice about whether we should or should not ask for his help." Sam spoke up, ignoring my last question, "If the chance is there we need to take it, despite the dangers."

"And how do you suppose we find this 'Clockwork' guy. It sounds like he's not your run-of-the-mill ghost." I crossed my arms, forgoing the questions she was obviously avoiding in light of their secret plan.

"That's where we sorta need your help." Tucker replied. "The Fenton's are in on this too, but only Maddie's gonna come with us. Jack and Jazz need to stay behind to make sure everything here runs smoothly. We'll have to use the specter speeder to get to Clockwork's lair, but last we checked it's...sorta damaged, and all the weapons are completely offline."

"So let me guess, you want me to be your body guard?"

"Pretty much."

"And your parents are okay with you guys traveling the ghost zone to find a mysterious ghost who might or might not help us?" I looked at Sam and she glared at me.

"Me and Tucker are the only ones who know where Clockwork lives." She narrowed her eyes, "Whether our parents like it or not, we have to go."

I leaned back against the dresser in the suit, staring at them and debating whether or not to help. It sounded like a pretty desperate plan to me, almost not worth the danger we'd have to go through. However, if this Clockwork guy _did _decide to help us, he really could potentially fix everything. We'd all be safe, my Dad wouldn't be crippled, Danny would be back...

"Fine," I said, and relieved smiles spread on their faces. At least until I made my one condition, "But only if you explain to me what that 'similar situation' was."

"That's not any of your business." Sam instantly said, voice hard as steel. Even Tucker was boarder line glaring at me.

"If I'm gonna put my life in danger for this plan of yours, I think I deserve to know all the details."

"We told you the details. We're taking the specter speeder to travel the ghost zone to find Clockword and we need you to be our guns." Tucker said, tone equally hard.

"Look, I don't even know who Clockwork is." I glared, "All you've told me is that he _might _be a ghost and happens to control all of time. That's not much to go on, seeing as I'm gonna be sticking my neck out in the effort to find him."

"Well what do you need to know?" Tucker spluttered, "He's a ghost that can help us, isn't that good enough?"

"No, it's not. I need to know why I should trust this ghost enough to risk going into the ghost zone for him."

Sam and Tucker stared at me, simmering in a heated silence. I held my ground, staring right back and refusing to back down. I wasn't being nosy, it's completely reasonable that I would want to know all the details for such a dangerous plan. Diving into the ghost zone because Sam and Tucker say this ghost is good just isn't gonna cut it, especially since they've given me no reason to believe he's good to begin with.

"This is Danny's business," Sam said coldly, "...but if you _insist _on knowing, I guess we have to choice but to tell you."

"I'm not asking so I know Danny's business. I just want to know why I should trust Clockwork so much."

"Can't you trust our judgement enough?" Tucker pleaded.

I didn't reply which was answer enough.

"Fine," Tucker said bitterly, "I guess Danny's not gonna have _any _privacy anymore."

I almost told them to forget about it at that point. Whatever secret they were guarding was clearly none of my business, and in all honesty their actions were making me a little nervous as to what it was. However, I couldn't follow through with a plan that led into the ghost zone without knowing why I should risk my life for this ghost. I had my Dad to take care of still, after all.

"Like we said, he's the Master of Time," He glanced at Sam one last time, but when she didn't respond returned his cold gaze to the floor. "...Back in freshmen year, during the CATs, something _really bad_ happened. If it wasn't for Clockwork's help, none of us would be here right now and Danny would be the most powerful and monstrous ghost in existence."

I narrowed my eyes but didn't say anything, waiting to hear Tucker out.

"He...He was gonna cheat on the CATs. You know, since his grades were so bad and stuff. All he had to do was reach his hand through Lancer's locked brief case... In the alternate timeline, the one where Danny _did _become the most evil ghost in existence, cheating on that test started a chain of events that eventually lead to the death of his family and friends...including me and Sam."

My eyes widened involuntarily, totally not expecting that. I glanced between the two, waiting for the April Fools part, but the expression on Sam and Tucker's faces told me they weren't lying. He continued talking before I could interrupt, a haunted look already settled into his eyes.

"After we were all dead, Danny went to Vlad's house cause he was the only one he had left."

I felt my heart hallow out. He went to _Vlad's_? _Willingly_?

"From the way Danny told it, it seemed he couldn't get over everyone's deaths, so he begged Vlad to rip the humanity out of him. You know...so he wouldn't feel the grief anymore."

"He _what? _How is that even possible?"

"Vlad used an invention Danny's Dad had made called the ghost gauntlets. They basically allowed the wearer to do exactly what Danny wanted, which was to rip out his ghost half."

I blinked, shock into silence.

"Vlad did what Danny wanted, but when he ripped out his ghost half, the Phantom part went crazy." Tucker fell somber, "Somehow Phantom got ahold of the gauntlets himself and ripped out _Vlad's _ghost half. Then he tried to overshadow Plasmius or something, but Vlad's ghost half overwhelmed him. In the end, a monster was created, and he went on to destroy almost the entire world."

I didn't know what to say. For a while my voice seemed caught in my throat. Sam and Tucker were looking at me balefully, looking too depressed to be angry at me anymore. We were all really quiet, either soaking it in or reliving painful memories.

"What...what about Danny's human half?" I asked after a long, heavy silence, mouth dry.

Sam and Tucker glanced at each other, and I knew what happened before Tucker said it.

"Phantom killed him."

I shook my head, stiff legs feeling weak suddenly. Tucker scooted over and let me stumbled to the bed, still staring at the ground in shock. I couldn't really process what Tucker had told me, having trouble imagining it. It was almost too bizarre. Danny could _never _be evil like Vlad.

"And...and all this is _real_?" I asked, not able to comprehend it.

"No." Sam spoke up, her definitive tone shattering the fog of fear starting to coat my brain, "That was another timeline, one that doesn't exist anymore. With Clockwork's help, Danny fought Phantom and locked him away in a thermos. Then Clockwork gave Danny another chance with the CATs and no one knew the difference."

I turned my gaze from the goth girl to the floor, still unable to stomach what they had told me. Judging from the haunted look in their eyes, I probably would never be able to understand it either, at least not without seeing it myself. However, the last thing I wanted was for Danny to become a psycho villain like Vlad, which made our need to get Danny out of that mansion all the more important.

"We gotta get Danny outta there." I muttered, now understanding the gravity constantly present in Sam and Tucker's tones.

Sam nodded solemnly, fists clenching.

"That's why we're gonna try Clockwork again. We're hoping he'll fix everything like he did last time. Danny told us that Clockwork's also sorta his guardian and stuff too, ever since the Phantom incident."

"But if Clockwork is Danny's guardian and he has the power to stop all of this, why hasn't he done something already?" I frowned, looking at them for an explanation.

The anxious glances they shared did nothing to help quell my growing fears. Sam bit her lip, answering my question with trepidation.

"We...we don't know. But we don't have a choice. We _have _to go see him. If he can fix all of this with just the push of a button...we have to at least try."

We all sat in silence for a while, the sober air weighing heavily on us. Sam was staring at nothing, lost in thought. Tucker was shifting his weight again, wistful sighs occasionally escaping his lips. Me? I was juggling with my thoughts again, once more feeling completely outmatched and in way over my head. Not to mention the unending ton of guilt keeping me down. God, I was just so tired of all this suffering...

I debated apologizing to the two people beside me for being so cold these past couple weeks, but every time I tried to muster the energy it just fell flat. Worse, it was all because of a stupid, petty reason. What did it matter that Danny told Sam and Tucker about his ghost half and not me? It's not like it's that surprising, even if we did almost date. I just...I just couldn't help but feel...betrayed, almost. Though now I wasn't sure if I was feeling betrayed or just angry at myself that I could never see the truth. All those times Phantom said he wasn't evil...all those times he tried not to fight but I just kept pushing and pushing.

It's no wonder Danny likes Sam more than me, and it's not surprising that he's probably never considered me as close a friend as I've always considered him. How could he when I spent my nights trying to kill half of him? I never even deserved the amount of trust he gave me to begin with, and certainly not his friendship.

"Did...did Danny know I was working for Vlad?" I asked, hating how pathetic my voice sounded.

"Yeah."

I don't know why Sam's cold, definite response effected me so much. I felt my eyes burn, the tumultuous wave of guilt, pain, and regret clogging my throat and crushing my chest. I didn't deserve anything from Danny, not anything except for hate. He's never once betrayed me, it was the complete opposite. _I _betrayed _him. _I'm the traitor here, and everyone knows it.

"...Valarie?"

A humiliating sob broke through my chiseled dam at Tucker's voice, fists clenching the sheets so tightly.

"Valarie!"

More guilt, more self loathing. I didn't deserve his concern. Not when half the injuries Danny limped around school with were probably my fault. Not when I used to work for the man keeping Danny locked up. Hot tears seared down my face, mixing with the dirt and creating visible tracks. I tried to hide it the best I could, bowing my head and using my knotted hair to cover my face. Tucker was patting me awkwardly on the back as my shoulders shook, more sobs wracking my eggshell of a frame. God I was so stupid, so embarrassing. And sitting here crying my eyes out, I'd never felt so alone.

But then I felt hands much smaller than Tucker's on my back, gently pulling me towards them until I was lying on their shoulder. Sam's small frame seemed strong as a rock in that moment, holding my shaking, sobbing self.

"I-I'm s-so sorry you guys," I choked, everything, including stubborn apologies, flooding out, "When you told me Danny was...was Phantom I just...I was so upset and angry!"

"Valarie, it's okay," Tucker said quietly, still patting my back though it was less awkward now. Sam still hadn't said a word, just hugging me and letting me cry. If I hadn't been so miserable, it would have been bizarre.

"God, this is so embarrassing..." I sniffed, finally mustering the energy to pull away from the goth girl.

"Valarie," Tucker said again, this time in a deadpanned voice, "You're not an emotionless rock. You don't have to bottle everything up and handle it alone."

"Yeah," Sam agreed quietly, staring at the bed and lips twitching into a half smile, "Me and Tucker have spent hours telling Danny that same advice." She looked at me, "Don't tell me you're gonna follow that blockhead's example."

A shuddering laugh forced its way through my tight throat. I sniffed loudly again, wiping my nose and eyes even as more tears stubbornly slipped out.

"It's just...I worked for Vlad, you know, and-" My throat got really tight again, "-And Danny knew, but he still treated me like such a friend a-and all I ever did in return was t-try to kill him!"

A painful sob dragged itself out of my throat, bringing with it a rough cough and more tears. Tucker moved closer to me, arm around my shoulder. Sam had one of her hands on my shoulder too, letting me cry and not judging my tears. We stayed like that for a long time, in our little run down hotel suit. I knew I had to get ahold of myself, but doing that meant facing the reality outside of our little bunker and I wasn't strong enough to do that yet. Sam and Tucker seemed to understand, letting me take as long as I needed to get all the bottled up pain out of my exhausted body.

"Danny would be proud of you, Valarie." Sam said in a distant voice, her arms squeezing me just a little tighter. "Even when me and Tucker-er...even when I was convinced you were no better than the man you worked for, Danny always argued against that."

Sam's words weren't making me feel better. They were making me feel worse.

"And you know..." she trailed off, a hiccup made me jolt and I finally decided it was time to stop soaking her shoulder. Sam was staring distantly at the floor when I sat straight, her hands falling limp in her lap.

"...He was right." she continued quietly. "I had you all wrong, Valarie. You may be stubborn, rash, and temperamental sometimes, but you're a good person. Danny knew he could always depend on you to help save Amity Park, even if he didn't want you too. ...I think you're the kind of person he's hoping everyone else down here will be, or at least _I _am. You're strong and determined, the kind of things we need to defeat Vlad and save Danny. Frankly...we all depend on you too."

My throat tightened again, but not because of misery. I coughed it away, sniffing loudly and wiping my eyes. Sam's words caused a modest blush to warm my face, the old but familiar feeling of pride welling in my chest. I didn't know what to say, fiddling with my hands and laughing shakily. Sam looked up and met my eyes, seeming to understand.

"So what do you say, Valarie? Will you help us find Clockwork?" Tucker spoke up from my left, a hand clapping down on my shoulder.

"Duh, of course I will." I gave a shuddering laughed, looking at my two friends and finally feeling like I truly belonged in the Resistance.

* * *

YEAH CLOCKWORK!

Edit: AH! The OC's! I'm terribly sorry about them. It was really unavoidable with the whole apocalypse thing, though. Hopefully they don't suck too bad, and I'm gonna try to keep them to a minimum. Forgive me. -_-'


	9. Chapter 9

Hello. :D I'm getting better. It's only been two months since my last update. And this chapter is allllll about our favorite couple, so yay. Oh and I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to my reviewers. Seriously, some of the stuff you guys suggest makes a big impact. Like, changing-the-plot kind of impact. You rock.

**Important:** This chapter is less crappy thanks to Martel and Skulligator! They edited for me and did a WONDERFUL job! :D

Enjoy?

* * *

A storm was brewing outside. Low hums of thunder could be heard in the distance, a light pattering of rain hitting the windows. The occasional flash of lightening was blocked by heavy curtains though, closing our room in near darkness save for the warm glow of the bedside lamp. In fact, the entire outside world seemed closed off from our cozy space, secluding us from its dreary atmosphere. I turned a page in my book, relaxing in the quiet atmosphere and relishing the lack of chaos. Daniel was curled up next to me, scowling at his homework, though that wasn't a surprise. I glanced at him when he snapped the book shut, groaning and rolling lethargically in the bed until his head was buried in the pillows.

"Ugh, I _hate _Plato."

"It can't be that bad, dear boy." I replied, not bothering to take my eyes from the book I was reading.

"Oh yes it can. I'm about ready to punch Socrates in the face if he asks one more question."

I laughed lightly, absentmindedly ruffling his raven black hair. A muffled sigh emitted from the head buried in the pillows, Plato's _Republic _dropping against the headboard with a dull thump. My hand in his hair ran along the smooth skin of his back, eyes turning to him with a content smile as he took a much deserved break. He must have been reading that book for a good two hours now. Eventually he stopped suffocating his face against the pillows, staring up at me and blowing a strand of hair out of his face with a grumpy expression.

"You should explain to me what the heck he's saying."

"Come now, little badger, that wouldn't exactly help your education, would it?"

"To heck with my education. I just don't want Ghostwriter to hit me with that stupid ruler again."

"Well then I suppose you'd better do the reading, hmm?" I rose an eye brow, the corners of my mouth twitching into a smile at his pout.

"Psh," Daniel rolled over onto his back, holding the book above his head and yawning at the print, "Some help you are."

I watched him for a while more, leaning against the head board and smiling down at him. He looked tired, but that much was to be expected. I _did _have the boy so heavily scheduled there was barely time to breathe. It was necessary, however. Ruling the world is no easy task, and unfortunately I can't devote _all_ of my attention to Daniel just yet. Keeping him busy prevents him from both dwelling on his family and thinking about escape, leaving me time to take care of other matters. Besides, Daniel is slowly getting used to his new life here. The routine schedule I have him on is sure to make the transition easier.

"What do you have after you finish your reading?" I asked, mostly for the sake of civil conversation. He seemed to be feeling significantly less volatile this evening, and I intended to take advantage of it.

"Math homework," he replied, taking a moment to stretch, "But I can finish it up during breakfast. I'm too freaking tired to do it tonight."

"Hm," I bookmarked my page, setting it on the bed side table and laying down in the soft covers. Daniel made no noise of protest when I rolled on my side and wrapped my arms around his midsection, but I could feel all the muscles in his body tense.

"Do you mind? It's kinda hard to read with you breathing down my neck." he snapped.

"I'm sure you'll manage." I replied through a yawn, pulling him closer until his back was pressed against my chest.

He made a few sounds of discomfort, but they were soon silenced. Daniel shifted awkwardly before finally settling into my embrace, holding his book sideways to continue reading. And still scowling.

"How much more do you have left?" I asked, curious. I didn't want him up too late.

"I dunno if I should tell you because it's all your fault that I have so much homework anyways."

"Would you like me to _make_ you tell me?"

"About four pages."

I smirked, lips ghosting over his shoulder.

"That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

Daniel shivered against me, but didn't reply, pretending to be buried in his book. I grinned, possessing his soft skin with slow caressings. The grip on his book tightened, but otherwise he made no move to push me away, which was substantial improvement compared to his first week here. In the beginning I had to practically tie the boy down to keep him still.

In the silence of the night Daniel soon finished up his reading. Without a word he closed the book and practically threw it to the other side of the bed, yanking the comforter over his shoulder and keeping a solid glare directed at the pillows. Plenty used to his silent treatment, I left him alone, brushing a few fingers through his soft hair. There was no need to force him to warm up to me anyways. I knew come morning he'd be wrapped up in my arms and clinging to my chest because that's how it always ends up. Daniel can scream that he hates me all he wants, but everyone knows actions speak louder than words.

Eventually, his breathing evened out and fell into slow, rhythmic sighs. I relaxed against him, unable to help the satisfied smirk snake across my face as I pulled him a little bit closer just because I could. After three weeks, Daniel has slowly gotten used to his new life here. Not enough that he's accepted it, of course, but enough that I could start prodding at his childish morals. The boy simply had to let go of his naïve notions of justice and humanity if he was going to make it in this world, _especially _since it's now _my _world. It's especially frustrating because proof of what I've been saying all along is surrounding him, but he just won't see it. No doubt his beliefs in heroism are nothing more than a pathetic grapple to his family, a desperate attempt to keep past memories alive by being moral in an immoral world. Silly child...

Daniel laid in my arms, completely unaware of how much he was under my control. He'll never understand right now, but in time he'll see what I've done for him and he'll be grateful for it. The world is a harsh place, indiscriminate in who it burns and unforgiving to a boy like Daniel. I learned that the harsh way, but that doesn't mean he has to. Daniel will hate me now, but he'll become a stronger person because of it. In a way, it's like I'm giving him the second chance he always advocates.

And like I told him, all it would require is a little persuasion.

As I excepted, I opened my eyes to a sunny sky, raindrops on the windows, and Daniel clutching my chest as though his life depended on it. The serenity was still present on his face, contentment that clashed with his cries of hate. Of course, once he woke up and let his usual stubbornness get in the way that contentment would be ruined, but no matter. It was all a matter of time, at this point.

After his obligatory wake up and flustered denigrations, I pushed him into the bathroom to get ready for the day. He wasn't stone cold in the shower either, more pouting than anything at this point. Of course, that's not to say he was receptive to any of my touches (unless they were more intimate), but it was still a subtle step. Daniel washed, dried, and dressed with hardly a glare, just sarcastic quips and his usual fiery stubbornness.

The walk down to breakfast was pleasantly quiet, Daniel reviewing his math notes all the way to the dining room and me making sure he didn't walk into a wall. I didn't have it in my heart to scold him for not paying attention to where he was going because I don't think I've ever seen him so motivated for schoolwork. Not hard to imagine why, of course, but still, why reign in a good habit?

"Man, this is _impossible_." he huffed, pouring over his homework and leaving the plate of eggs untouched. A short, exasperated sigh left him looking grudgingly in my direction, mumbling "Can you help me again?"

I tried to keep my smirk small, but the further narrowing of Daniel's eyes let me know that he caught it. Still, I stood from my seat and happily looked over his shoulder, not about to pass up one of his few voluntary requests for help.

"There's the problem, little badger," I pointed on his paper, "You simply messed up your multiplication. Otherwise the formula is perfect."

He grunted in thanks, which was another improvement from the usual silence I receive. Rolling my eyes, I returned to my seat, watching him furiously scratch away at the paper and glance at the clock.

"You know, if you'd gotten your homework done last night you wouldn't be so stressed out right now." I commented, sipping my coffee.

"Yeah, great advice Vlad," He scowled, "And if you hadn't insisted on nailing me into your desk yesterday evening, maybe I would have had some time to finish it."

I tried not to chuckle as the good memory came back, but I'm afraid I failed. Daniel was not pleased, further glaring.

"You were being so distant yesterday," I waved a hand carelessly, "I couldn't let you drown in your own pity party, could I?"

"And further molesting me was supposed to cheer me up?"

"Well it cheered me up."

"Believe me. I could tell."

"If you'd simply let go of conventional standards it could cheer you up as well." I sighed exasperatedly. "And really, there _are _no more conventional standards if you think about it. I just don't see what's holding you back."

"Forgive me for feeling shameful every time you stick your hand down my pants. I'll try to work on that."

"Like you're trying to work on your homework?"

He looked down at the paper, one problem completed.

"Shut up, Vlad."

With a small smile I watched him return his focus to the mathematical formulas, clearly trying to drown himself in the work. I held back the tired sigh in my chest, downing the rest of the black coffee and gently setting in on the table. Though I love the daily banter we exchange, the day Daniel stops fighting me couldn't come soon enough, in my opinion. Until then this little game of banter seemed to be the closest we could come to civil conversation, and that's using the term 'civil' loosely.

Daniel glanced at the old grandfather clock frantically, haunched over his textbook and almost muttering to himself, desperately trying to finish up the math equations. However, I couldn't manage to feel very sorry for the boy. His disturbing lack of a decent education _had _to be remedied, though it's a wonder he learned anything at all with Jack Fenton as his father. If the stubborn child had simply come to me in the first place, I could have given him an excellent education without the emotional distractions Ghostwriter provides. I can't deny that this situation works to my advantage though. Once Daniel has caught up with his studies, I can afford to start offering less homework as an incentive to get him to cooperate during our evenings together.

Miraculously, he finished up the equations in the nick of time, quickly grabbing the rest of his books and running out of the dinning hall with a quick, "ByeVladhopeyoufalloffacliff!" I rolled my eyes yet again, wondering if that was to become my new habit.

A clock struck the hour as I stood and headed off to the lab, turning my focus to another project of mine. Ruling the world opens _such_ a variety of opportunities for someone such as myself. On my walk I passed a few chatting servants, and the moment they saw me they stiffened with fear. Standing straight, they nodded respectfully and mumbled a morning greeting, heads bowed in immediate supplication. It was rather pathetic, really, but I ignored them as usual and continued on my way.

The secret entrance to my lab wasn't necessary anymore and served only for convenience. However, from the first floor of my five story mansion, it really wasn't that convenient at all, so I opted for the more conspicuous entrance. With a simple key code a decorative black door near the dining hall slide into the wall, letting loose the sterile oxygen from the room behind it. The lab lit up automatically when I stepped off the descending stairs and onto the metal floor, and with the lights I freed my ghost half. The familiar rush of power brought a smile to my fanged mouth, solid red eyes picking up so much more than my normal human pupils could.

"Much better." I muttered, walking over to a raised platform.

The platform was circular in shape, a large and intricate computer rising up around it like a desk. Above it, several flat-screens hung in an organized fashion, already hooked up to the computer and awaiting my password. This was, for lack of a better phrase, the base of my operations. From this super computer I could easily access any network in the world, bulldozing complicated firewalls like they were nothing more than candle flames. Technus had been duly payed for his assistance, of course, though I hear China wasn't as thrilled about his gift as he was...

"Password accepted." A mechanical voice rang out, the screens in front of me immediately displaying several different locations around the world via webcam.

And almost as quickly as the screens popped up, the scientists within them jumped, spinning around to look at me with frightened surprise.

"L-Lord Plasmius!" A balding one from the main screen in front of me squeaked, hastily re-griping the papers slipping from his gasp.

"Dr. Austin." I replied dryly, surveying his spineless team huddling in the background. But they weren't what I was really looking for.

Further back, beyond the cowering scientists, a massive hole rested in the wall. Already it was lined with the same intricate technology my own ghost portal held, though incomplete. Thick wires hung from the ceiling of the giant portal, and I could see a few scientists on mechanical lifts working on different aspects of the unfinished gateway. However, with my keen eyesight I could tell that it wasn't even halfway done, prompting a disappointed frown that the scientists further balked at.

"I thought we agreed to a six week time schedule? You're running behind."

Dr. Austin flinched.

"Y-yes," he fiddled with his glasses, not looking me in the eye, "But this technology is...well it's very advanced and my team and I a-aren't quiet familiar with it-"

"I don't want excuses, Austin, I was results." I glared, figuring something like this would happen. "I gave you explicit instructions and detailed blueprints to build this portal. How hard is it to simply follow directions?"

"W-well...uh..."

"Do I need to remind you what's at stake should you mess this up?"

"No!" he cried, desperation shining in his eyes, "Please, we're working as hard as we can. J-just give us a little more time, I beg you!"

I paused, stroking my goatee as though listening to his pathetic pleading. I figured they'd end up behind schedule, which is why I'd already planned for this should such an occasion arise. After all, one can only expect so much from normal humans.

"...Very well." I drawled. "You have an extra two weeks." The man in the screen deflated with relief, clutching his chest.

"Oh, _thank _you, my lo-"

"But Austin?" I interrupted, my dark tone instantly shutting him up. "If you fail me again, your family _will _feel the consequences. _Permanently._"

"Y-yes, my liege." he bowed his head meekly, pure misery choking his voice. From the pain in his tone, I knew I didn't have to worry about the portals not being done on time.

"Then I leave this in your more-than-capable hands." I smiled. "I want this portal past the halfway point when I next call you."

"V-very well, Sir." He choked, staring and blinking furiously at the ground.

I didn't dignify him with a farewell, pushing a button and shifting the images on the screens. I had a lot of things to do today and he wasn't worth my time. A different, but similar scene played out on the main screen now, only this time the portal was normal sized and the head scientist wasn't a balding man, it was a woman.

"Dr. Reich, how goes progress?"

This process repeated itself several times, each one with the head scientist stuttering apologies and trembling ridiculously. The many portals I had being erected around the world were slow in coming, but hopefully by the end of the next month they would be operational. Granted, with so many portals going up the boundary between here and the ghost zone was bound to be come unstable, but that wasn't necessarily a problem in my grand scheme of things. I was growing rather tired of my personal portal being the only means of transportation between here and the ghost zone anyways. The Fenton portal was still open and working, of course, but I had forbidden traffic through there. I didn't want to scare the little "resistance" away from the idea of using it to get into my castle, did I?

When the last scientist offered their stuttering excuses to me, I switched off the computer. My open ghost portal let an ethereal, green glow bathe my lab, chilling it with a type of cold that only the ghost zone can produce. For a moment I just stared out into the swirling green world, a satisfied smile on my face despite a few minor set backs irritating my plans. Until those portals were completed, communication between the other ghosts terrorizing the world was difficult to manage, which was slightly distressing to me. For now, Skulker was doing a fair job at relaying messages, but I wanted something a little more solid. Lord knows that ghost is easily distracted from anything that doesn't involve hunting. Speaking of which...

My sensors alerted me to an approaching specter outside the portal, recognizing Skulker's ecto-signature before he melted through the swirling green gateway. The hunter ghost smoothly stepped into my lab, a bored (but undeniably pleased) expression on his face. Skulker has seriously benefited from my take over, now having ample prey to chase. I offered him a country of his choice for his loyalty throughout the years, but he turned it down, instead asking only for free reign in the human world.

"Plasmius." he greeted, nodding his head.

"Skulker," I smiled, "What brings you here?"

"The usual." he replied in a bored tone, already browsing the weapons hanging along a wall. "Targets, weapons, a message from Vortex."

Annoyance instantly colored my scoff, eyes rolling. If it wasn't Walker causing me problems it was that overgrown weather balloon...

"What is it this time?"

"He's claiming he doesn't have enough room to 'artistically grow' or something." he said, inspecting a double barrel machine gun. "Does this come in pairs?"

"No," I scowled, snatching the gun from the obsessive ghost. "Especially not when you've done nothing to warrant receiving such a weapon."

"...but if I did do something worth it, I _could _get them in pai-"

"Focus, Skulker." I snapped.

The flame headed ghost pouted, narrowing his eyes and grudgingly telling me the rest of the message.

"He's complaining that there's not enough people to 'witness his masterpieces'. Basically, the fool wants more land."

Oh, I did _not _have the patience to deal with that imbecile.

"I've given him the entire South American continent, tell him to stop bothering me with trivial nonsense or I'll make him _wish _he was still locked up in the Observants prison!"

"I did. He quieted down, but I figured I should just warn you that he won't stay quiet for long."

I narrowed my eyes, glaring at the wall thanks to this latest bump in the road. I knew it was a risk to bring Vortex into this from the beginning, but at the time the bigger and more destructive impact I made on the world the more secure my permanent rule would be. However, after three weeks of non-stop chaos, I'm pretty sure a less destructive-and less _annoying_-replacement wouldn't be too detrimental to my reputation. Vortex will simply have to be removed.

"Thank you Skulker." I sighed, rubbing my temples. The hunter ghost didn't have to tell me this information, and I recognized that. At least now I would be able to remove this headache before it became problematic.

"No need, Plasmius. I'm telling you this for my own interests too." He looked at me and grinned, "I rather like what you've done with the human world and I want it to stay that way."

"Glad to hear you approve." I muttered, turning to a touch screen map and pinpointing Vortex's exact coordinates.

"...So how's the whelp doing?" Skulker asked after a long moment of silence, no doubt still perusing through my weapons display. It was no secret that he desperately wanted to hunt 'his prey' still, but I'd put a stop to that. At least until I deemed it time for Daniel to have a good sparing practice.

"Fine," I replied conversationally, "He's finally stopped pitching a fit, for the most part. Though that's not entirely...a good thing..." Something on the screen caught my attention; I was barely focusing on the conversation with Skulker to begin with.

"It's not?" He sounded confused, "Why? I thought you'd be happy that he's being less difficult."

"Oh believe me, I am," I stood straight, narrowing my eyes at the image on the screen, "But Daniel has a nasty habit of bottling things up and attempting to plot behind my back, which is why him being quiet is almost as bad-if not worse-than him throwing a fit. Come look at this." I pointed to the screen.

Skulker raised an eyebrow, but stepped forward, following my finger to the image and letting loose a low chuckle.

"...Is that really-"

"Mhm." I crossed my arms, glaring. "It seems I'll have to take care of this matter sooner rather than later."

Vortex had taken it upon himself to erect several statues in his likeness, complete with an extravagant crown and scepter. The picture displayed countless people bowing before the statues too, obviously hailing him like a god. This, of course, couldn't continue since the earth was _my _territory. My eyes further narrowed.

"Well Skulker, this visit has been lovely, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut our time short. Daniel will be getting out of tutoring soon and I'd like this mess with Vortex taken care of in time for our training session."

Skulker huffed indignantly, but when I placed the double barrel machine gun in his hand his frown was quickly flipped.

"And thank you for telling me about Vortex," I said sincerely, "Frankly, I don't care if you only told me out of selfish reasons, that reason saved me a serious migraine."

"My pleasure, Plasmius." He grinned, attaching the gun to his suit and inspecting the gleaming metal.

"And you can be sure useful updates about the other ghosts will only lead to more weapons too."

"I understand," his smile widened. Skulker turned and marched toward the portal, completely engrossed in his new toy. He exited my lab with a last call, eyes never leaving his shiny new gun, "Good luck with the whelp!"

Rolling my eyes at his obsession, I immediately walked into a different section of the lab. This room was larger, much larger, than the previous one, holding an enormous contraption that was vital to my take over. It took up an entire wall, and admittedly looked like something out of a Frankenstein movie. One day I'd take the time to perfect the design, but for now it served its purpose. On one end of the machine, a small ghost portal, the size of the proto-portal actually, was set into the wall and connected to a thick tube covering the circumference of it. In fact, it was so covered that no one would know it was a portal unless I pointed it out myself.

The thick tube-made of a specific metal composed of ectoranium-connected to a larger part of the machine. The larger part held a vat of a synthetic material I designed myself, having spent years on the chemical make up. It was an incredibly versatile substance; the goo-like consistency made the material adequate for almost all human climates, making it durable against basic attacks. The nanobots I inserted into the mixture added the perfect touch, making the key ingredient that animated the goo render themselves under _my _control. After adding the key ingredient, the formless blobs molded themselves into something similar to a lifeless doll, awaiting my instructions. All I simply had to do was access the nanobots through my computer and tell the synthetic ghost what to do. Compared to my other options for minions, these created creatures were perfect.

However, their creation was impossible without that key ingredient, the one I accessed via the miniature portal into the ghost zone.

Once a person dies and goes into the ghost zone, it doesn't immediately become a tangible being like Skulker or Ember or any of the other formed ghosts. After death, a person's echo-similar to that of a soul-wanders the ghost zone aimlessly, absorbing the natural energy of the zone until it becomes a tangible creature. These echo's are the very basest definition of a ghost, moaning and floating like a lost child. Instinctually, they float toward areas of the zone that happen to have more energy than other places, like around portals. The raw energy of a portal is like a fountain to them, attracting wandering souls like bugs to a lamp.

My miniature portal isn't nearly big enough to attract a substantial amount of the soul-like echos, so I added my own attractant to the synthetic mixture I had concocted, which coincidentally is what gives my army its sickly green color. The pure ectoplasm in my minions chemical make up is like candy to the starving echos, and thanks to that they swarm to the miniature portal like flies.

Even better, I don't have to worry about the well of human echos drying up soon. A human is much more likely to become a ghost when killed in a sudden death, and I've been doing a lot of sudden murders since that Monday morning so long ago.

It's a rather elegant process, I believe. The more people who die the more ghosts I can produce. The more ghosts I can produce the more people are killed. As long as I'm careful to moderate the number of people dying, I should never run out of mindless soldiers. If nothing less, it's at least a convenient and productive way for population control. Unfortunately, I have a feeling Daniel won't exactly see things my way...

Luckily, I won't have to keep producing more soldiers indefinitely. Once people settle down I won't need to replenish my army so much. In fact, if people want me to stop killing them, all they have to do is submit to my rule and stop killing off my soldiers. After that I'll have no need to fight off swarms of rebellions and can live perfectly content with the mass amount of soldiers I've already accumulated.

Humming to myself, I walked over to a glass sealed shelf and pressed in the key code. The shelves were full of thermoses, each displaying a red one-hundred percent sign glaring from the canister along with a red bar filled to the top. This was an incredibly convenient way to keep my army compact and easy to carry around. I'd discovered that the ghostly echos take up much less space than fully formed ghosts, and even after combining them with my chemical mixture, they still take up less space than a normal specter. I can fit an impressive ten thousand soldiers into one thermos, twenty thousand if I increase the size of the cylindrical container by less than an inch.

I grabbed one of the thermoses, taking note of the serial number on the side and heading to the mainframe controls. All of the ghouls in each thermos were still blank slates, the nanobots not yet programed and activated. After connecting my chosen thermos to the mainframe and inputing the password, a monotone voice echoed from the small speakers. This mainframe, being so incredibly important, was not blocked by just a simple password though. Voice recognition technology was required to activate and program the nanobots, meaning only I could tell my army what to do.

"Activate thermos Xi-127." I commanded, and seconds later a beep sounded from the computer.

"Nanobots activated." the monotone voice replied.

"Set Programing. Order: kill only interfering humans. Order: Subjugate Vortex. Order: Patrol human communities. Order: Obey Vlad Plasmius. Finish Programing."

I tapped my foot as the computer processed my commands and downloaded them into the billions of nanobots within the thermos.

"Programing complete."

"Excellent." I muttered, ejecting the thermos and stowing it away on my belt, along with an extra empty thermos for Vortex himself.

Moments later I was back in the portal room and flying into the ghost zone. Hopefully this wouldn't take more than an hour. I wanted to be back in time to train Daniel, after all.

It took longer than an hour.

Vortex, though surprised to see me when I suddenly appeared above the Brazilian rainforest, put up an admirable fight. I ended up needing to use over a thousand of the ghouls I'd brought to bring him down. My minions, though durable against punitive humans, were no match for a ghost like Vortex. Thus, it was their numbers I needed to distract him long enough to shove him into the spare thermos I'd brought.

This, however, didn't occur until after the ridiculous chase he'd started. I spent over an hour chasing him around the southern continent before cornering him somewhere in Chile. The foolish ghost had tried to wash me away with an impressive tsunami he'd conjured, but it's not that difficult to turn intangible and avoid all the water. The ghouls I released swarmed him like hundreds of roaches after that, and it was all downhill for the weather controlling specter from there.

All in all, the irksome event took around three hours. By the time I returned from disposing of Vortex, lunch had long since past and Daniel had already started his sets.

"Oh darn, you're here." he said the moment I walked through the gym doors.

I didn't responding, closing my eyes and inhaling slowly. Compared to the chaotic past three hours I'd had, the easy quietness of the workout room was nothing short of a blessing, even with Daniel's spiteful comments. In a way, even those were relaxing too. His harmless sarcasm served as a source of great amusement to me, so much better than the obnoxious heaving and flowery monologues of a certain ghost no longer on this earth.

"Try not to sound too excited, Daniel." I retorted, still feeling sore from the skirmish with Vortex.

"Trust me, I won't."

I glared balefully at him for a moment before sitting on a bench by the mirrors, releasing a long sigh and taking the first rest I'd gotten since capturing and destroying Vortex. Daniel paused in his lifting routine, raising an eyebrow and looking at me.

"Uh...not that I care, but are you okay?"

"If you don't care, why are you asking?"

Daniel glared at me, turning back to the wall and resuming his sets with stubborn silence. I couldn't help but smirk a bit, watching the scowling teen complete his reps and finally dropping the thirty pound weights back on the shelf. He yanked the thirty five pound dumbbells from their waiting position, sighing and completing the last six reps with the heavier weights.

"Did you increase your weights by five compared to last week?" I asked, making sure he wasn't slacking.

"Yes, Mom." he grunted, struggling with the last few lifts.

Daniel's eyes flashed with angry determination on the last lift, forcing his toned arms to complete the set. I smiled, feeling the lingering irritation and tension from my earlier ghost fight slip away as I watched my young protege. As I predicted, Daniel had quickly become consumed with the hours spent training. At first he'd been a typical, angry, awkward teenager, visibly uncomfortable with his inability to lift heavier weights and even more uncomfortable with me training him. He quickly got over that of course, though it wasn't like he had a choice. However, the personalized routine I had him on was doing wonders for his body and his self-confidence. In just a short three weeks, the results of his training were clearly visible, something I _know _Daniel appreciated.

"What are you smirking at?" he bristled, returning the weights and lowering to the ground.

"The only thing worth smirking at in the room," I teased, getting up and walking over to him as he started his push-ups.

Daniel gave me a wary glare at my approached, yelling indignantly when I kicked one of his arms off the floor. He nearly face planted mid-push-up, but quickly shifted his weight and sat up.

"What the heck was that for?" he scowled.

"One handed pushups from now on. Ten on each arm. Next week we'll double it."

He glared at me, muttering incoherent things and resuming his routine. I watched him follow my demand with a satisfied smile, much preferring this to anything else my worldly duties demanded of me.

It's always nice to see an investment make good on its return, and when I watch my little badger train and study, it's clear that he has most certainly lived up to my expectations thus far. Of course there have been bumps in the road, just as I expect there will me more in the future to come. However, if there's one thing I'm good at it's getting what I want. Daniel-already holding the traits I so value in a person-needs nothing more than a guiding hand to hone his talents. He is, without a doubt, my piece de resistance. Getting him to cooperate in _other _aspects of our relationship will be as gratifying as-

"Helloooo, earth to Vlad? Are you still in there?"

Two arctic blue eyes and a waving hand stirred me from my thoughts, willingly closer to me than I expected from him (though, admittedly, that's not saying much). I looked down and smirked, Daniel's impatient form huffing angrily and placing his hands on his hips when he finally got my attention.

"Yes, little badger?" I grinned.

"I said, when are we gonna start working on my ghost powers? You haven't forgotten that I'm half-ghost, too, right?"

"Hm," Smirking, I leaned down and kissed him lightly, "As if I could ever forget that."

Daniel's scowl never left his face, determined to appear angry and unreceptive. I only grinned at his stubbornness, knowing exactly how receptive I could make him...

"I suppose you do have a point though," I said, tapping a finger against my chin and turning his frown into a muted blink of surprise.

"I do?"

"Mhm. It's quite clear that you've made considerable progress-" Daniel's cheeks tinged pink when gave him an appreciative stare, "-enough that I think you're more than ready to start working on your ghost form."

I could tell the stubborn boy was holding back a pleased grin, mostly likely itching to use his ghost powers after such a long time of limited use. He followed me out of the workout room with a slightly happier disposition than two minutes ago, as evidenced by his willingness to talk to me. I only hoped he'd keep that improved attitude when we started training.

"Hey Vlad?"

"Hm?"

"How come you have a bunch of smaller, separate rooms for training ghost powers? Why not combine them all into one big room?"

"I could have done that," I replied, stopping in front of a deep red colored door, "But separating the rooms and designating them a specific focus allows me to use more advanced technology for each individual room. I decided to sacrifice convenience for quality."

"Oh," Daniel replied, but then he noticed we were in front of a door and frowned, taking a few steps back. "You're not gonna throw me into a random obstacle course again, are you?"

"No Daniel, I'm not going to throw you into a random obstacle course again." I chuckled, motioning for him to come closer when I opened the door.

He gave me a wary look but inched his way through the doorway, eyes coloring with confusion when he saw the completely bare room.

"Uh...there's nothing here."

"You really must stop stating the obvious, child. It makes you look rather dim."

Daniel didn't reply, watching me with his usual scowl as I took stage of the room and commanded in a strong voice,

"Activate combat mode. Level 1."

"Really Vlad? Level 1? I _have _had these powers for nearly two years, you know."

"Yes, but I you haven't had your powers like this before." I looked at him with a knowing smirk, "I don't think you realize the change you're going to feel then you transform into your ghost form."

"Putting on a little muscle makes that big of a difference?" he rose an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

"Lets let you find out for yourself, shall we?"

Daniel didn't change his expression as I approached, reaching up and phasing the restrictive collar from his neck. He rubbed the slightly chaffed skin, never taking his eyes off me as I shifted into my ghost form and hooked the collar on my belt.

A strange look ghosted over Daniel's face when he took in my alter ego, a unique mixture of fear, intimidation, and something else lasting for just a second in his eyes. I don't think he realizes he makes that expression every time he sees me transform, but I certainly don't plan on telling him that gratifying piece of information. It's just another example of his actions speaking louder than his words. The look quickly disappeared as he let his own ghost half wash over his body, replaced with a wide grin that he could at last, no longer contain.

"Finally..." he murmured, dissolving his legs into a spectral tail and flexing a gloved hand.

"Focus on your core, Daniel. Tell me when you feel a difference."

He glanced at me cautiously for a moment before letting his eyes close, stilling in the air as he did what I said. His ghostly glow dimmed slightly as he centered his focus, even the air around him seeming to slow down. I couldn't quite hold back a smile when his eyes suddenly opened with a gasp, the neon color shining slightly brighter than usual and doubling in his now blazing ghostly glow.

"Whoa," he breathed, putting a hand to his chest and almost stumbling in the air.

"How do you feel?" I pressed.

"I feel...great." he blinked, looking down at himself. "Fantastic, actually! Is this really all because I got my human side in shape?"

"Your ghostly core is closely connected to the state of your human half, even drawing energy from it, on some occasions. You can think of your human half as a foundation for your ghostly one. The better shape it's in, the easier your core can circulate and produce ecto-energy. Shoot that gun up there and you'll see what I mean."

Daniel did a double take at the laser sticking out of the wall, clearly having not noticed it until now. We'd really have to work on his observational skills. The boy summoned up green energy into his hand, grin widening at the rush of power I knew he felt. He took careful aim and fired, exploding the gun into a shower of tiny pieces and leaving a scorch mark in the wall that was three times bigger than anything he'd ever produced before.

"_Whoa!_" he breathed, eyes wide. Daniel looked down at his smoking hand in amazement, probably still feeling the improved strength rushing through his ghostly body.

"Exhilarating, no?" I smirked. Daniel looked at me with a much more open expression, lingering amazement erasing his hostility for the moment. "I'm going to teach you how to control all that power, little badger, and how to use it intelligently. You're only going to get stronger the more you train and exercise."

"...But won't there be a point when my body reaches it's limit?"

"The point of exercising your human body is simply to get it in shape. Like I said, your human half is only the foundation. Once it is at a good, steady performance your ghost half will begin to develop on its own, circulating and building energy more quickly and producing new powers more often. In fact, I still develop new powers myself."

"Wait-You _do_?" Daniel looked rather nervous. I felt a smirk curl my lip.

"Indeed. Ghost's don't circulate energy like we hybrids do. Their ectoplasm remains stagnant once they've fully formed in the ghost zone, putting a limit on their power. _We _on the other hand, have no such limitations. There's no telling how strong we could become, how _powerful_."

Daniel furrowed his brows, clearly not liking what he was hearing. He didn't say anything in response though, mouth sealed in a tight frown.

"There's no need to be afraid of power, little badger."

"I'm not afraid!" he burst out indignantly, fists tightening.

"Hm. I should hope not." I replied, mouth twisting, "Because I plan on making you more powerful than you can imagine."

"And what happens when I use all that power against you, Plasmius?" he spat.

I stared at him for a moment, taking in his bristled stance. Daniel didn't move as I stepped closer to him, though he flinched when I grabbed his clenched jaw and forced his face to look up at me. I could help but laugh at Daniel's pathetic threat, the cold sound making the boy tense warily.

"By then, little badger, you'll be so wrapped around my finger you won't even _dare _to defy me."

He glared furiously, but was unable to say anything in response. It didn't matter, though. I could see the nervous fear in his eyes. As much as he didn't want to believe it, I knew he was starting to. I smiled.

He didn't say a word as I turned my back on him, facing the empty room and ordering, "Activate combat mode Level 10."

My apprentice looked around warily as multiple guns appeared out of the walls, all of them aimed directly at him. I watched him fall into an immediate battle stance, pleased with his sharp insticts.

"So...exactly how many levels are there?" he asked after a long silence, eyeing the ominous weapons with narrowed eyes and trying to forget my ominous prediction.

"One hundred. We'll start out here and go up until I decide you can stop. Begin Level."

"Wait-what?"

The alarm on Daniel's face transformed into a gasp when all the guns fired at once. He jumped into the air, instantly reacting by avoiding and destroying all the guns. In what couldn't have been more than a minute and a half all the guns were taken out, reduced to smoking cinders. Daniel was still breathing heavily from the surprise, fists smoking.

"A little warning would've been ni-!"

"Begin level eleven."

"Ah! Vlad!"

I chuckled as Daniel flew through the air, dodging the blasts from the guns and retaliating with his own shots. He did pretty well, effectively destroying all the targets in a timely manner as the levels increased. His aim needed some work though, and once we started getting to level fifteen he began taking too long to destroy all the guns. I watched as he dived and flipped through the air, avoiding all the blasts specifically keyed into his ecto-signature.

"Good, Daniel. Keep your eyes on all the targets. Don't focus on one gun at a time."

The good thing about the bombardment of blasts was that he didn't have time to shout back a sarcastic comment, needing all the focus he had to avoid getting burned by the ectoblasts. I watched from the sidelines, a pleased smile on my face at how well along he was with his powers. Daniel may think he's no good at them, but for his age and how long he's had them, he's actually not bad. His main problem is just a lack of attention. At least as far as shooting goes.

The non-stop slew of shooting guns lasted for another half hour, each level taxing Daniel's endurance and focus. When we got to level nineteen he was breathing heavily and chaotically spinning around to focus on all the targets, barely missing the high heat shots flying past him. Finally, there were too many guns to handle. Daniel slammed into the floor when a powerful blast caught him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

I was impressed by his reflexes when he crashed to the ground, though. The guns didn't stop firing just because their target was down, instead increasing their barrage now that Daniel was stationary. The little badger let out a yelp and quickly forced up a shield, just barely blocking the shower of attacks. He grit his teeth and glared at the shield, willing it to hold under the heavy barrage. It wasn't until white cracks started forming around the green dome that I finally called off the attack.

"Cease Level." I commanded.

The moment the guns stopped firing Daniel let down his shield, clearly thinking the danger was gone and about to take a rest on the floor. I quickly put a stop to that. He yelped and rolled away when my fist dug into the ground, creating a dent where his head had been just seconds ago.

"What the hell was that for!" he shouted, backing away and raising his fists.

"Your greatest flaw is your lack of attention. Never let your guard down, Daniel, not even for a moment." I flexed my fist and stared at his panting form, a grin unfurling. "You never know when an enemy may strike."

"God, you're so crazy." he panted, mumbling under his breathe.

Hm. Well I was going to give him a break, but if that's how he feels...

Daniel yelled in fright at my sudden attack, jumping back and barely missing the punch I threw at him. His back slammed against the wall and for half a second he stared up at me with wide, terrified eyes before ducking away from another attack. Despite his agility, I quickly caught him by the arm. Daniel cried out in pain when I yanked the limb behind his back and shoved him against the wall.

"Ow! Fuck!"

I smacked him in the head.

"_Language_, Daniel."

He struggled for a moment more, trying to pull his arms out of my grasp and then trying to relieve the pressure on his joints when I forced them up higher.

"Ow ow ow ow ow okay! You win! Jesus,Vlad, you're breaking my arm!"

I held him there until he stopped struggling completely and then let go. Daniel instantly jumped away from me, rolling his shoulders for barely a second and then immediately putting his fists up in a defensive stance. I only smirked in satisfaction though, the lesson learned.

"Excellent work, little badger." His eyes narrowed, clearly not understanding. "You kept your guard up."

Daniel blinked, just realizing that he was in a defensive stance. He made sure to keep his eyes on me though, tensing when I approached.

"Relax, Daniel," I placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm not going to attack you."

"How do I know you're not lying?" He rose an eye brow, not moving. My grin stretched wider.

"You don't."

For a tense moment neither of us moved. Daniel kept his narrowed eyes pinned on me, not trusting my light smile for a second. In took a while, but eventually he slowly lowered his fists, not once taking his eyes off me. It was a start, at least.

"Now that we know what level you are at, I want to spend some time working on your focus and your aim..."

For the rest of training we basically worked on those two areas. Daniel has a bad habit of focusing on one thing at a time, never taking the time to note his surroundings in a fight. As for his aim, well that's just self explanatory. At first, Daniel remained tense around me, but that was to be expected. Under my guidance, however, he eventually relaxed enough to focus solely on the exercises I had him do. The hour spent working on his focus passed so quickly that I didn't even realize how late it was nearly five in the evening. The last hour was thus spent on aim, something Daniel enjoyed immensely.

"Hit those targets." I pointed to three silver disks set against the back wall, each one about the size of an old record.

He smirked at the simplicity of the task, fire alighting his hand and then soaring across the open space. The disks shattered into a million pieces upon contact, creating a rather beautiful spectacle. Seconds later six more disks popped up, this time just slightly smaller. Daniel shot them on my command, hitting each target with excellent precision. This pattern repeated itself until there were twenty one disks set against the wall, all the size of an average CD now.

"Use both hands for this one. Can't cripple you to one arm, can we?"

He didn't do so well this time, wincing when his dominate hand managed to break all the disks (though not with bulls-eyes) and his left hand only clipped about half of them. I smirked, standing behind him. He tensed at my sudden approach, but I paid it no mind.

"Practice, of course, will lead to improvement, but a few tricks can help you learn to shoot with your non-dominant hand more fluidly."

Daniel was very still when I leaned down and gently placed my hand over his raised left arm, slowly lowering the right one.

"Focus more on the target rather than your hand," I said, perhaps closer to his ear than strictly necessary. "And don't inhale when you shoot."

He relaxed slightly when I stepped away, my hand lingering on his shoulder for just a moment. Daniel paused to gather his focus again, not saying a word before suddenly shooting one of the disks. As I predicted, his left handed shot shattered the disk with a clean bulls-eye, silver slivers bouncing to the ground.

"I did it!" He blinked, clearly surprised that my advice had actually worked.

"You have so little faith in me."

Daniel snorted, shaking his head and shooting another target, and then another. A small, genuine smile started to light up his face as he destroyed all the targets, leaving the ground lined with silver diamonds. It was a rather beautiful sight, seeing him so excited about his ghost powers. He'd probably scowl if I told him that though, so I kept the rare moment to myself.

After that, the rest of his training seemed to pass in a flash. I kept him at stationary targets for now, only varying the sizes and locations of the silver disks. By the time evening was well on its way the floor was littered with shining shards, and Daniel was starting to feel the effects of a prolonged usage of his powers. He stubbornly refused to quit however, until I had to forcibly drag him out of the room and lock his ghost powers away with that damned collar. Needless to say, that smile I was so enjoying quickly dropped after that, and I was left in the silence of the halls as Daniel took a quick shower.

The poor boy had been shaking with the effort to bring forth a mere ectoblast, I wasn't about to let him continue to run himself ragged. I sighed in the suffocating emptiness of the halls, knowing the moment Daniel walked out of that door the cold antagonism between us would return. There really wasn't anything I could do about it, though. It's not my fault he absolutely refuses to let me help with anything beyond homework and training.

He finished up and exited the small locker room with his usual grim expression back in place. I caught him fiddling with the collar around his neck as we made our way to my study, scratching the irritated skin and pulling at it needlessly. By the time we got to the cozy room, his usual tension had fully returned, made all the more apparent by the steely silence between us.

This is how things usually go, but still, that didn't stop a forlorn sigh from making its way past my lips. Daniel glanced up at me, but then trained his eyes back to the carpet with a frown. It seemed that the beginnings of the day and the ends of the day are when he's most sullen, hands shoved in pockets and face devoid of expression. I suppose I should be slightly more grateful though. At least he doesn't shoot me those pitiful death glares anymore. Not very often, at any rate.

I held the door to my study open and Daniel trudged in, automatically marching to the couch and grabbing a text book. Here I would usually make my way to the desk and work on various things until I deemed it late enough for bed, but today I stopped. I think I was growing quite tired of his stubbornness. Leaning against the door with a frown on my face, I watched Daniel read through a science book and take notes, admirably dedicated to his studies but visibly devoid of any emotions. He seemed to have shut himself in, as though preparing for something painful.

I wasn't stupid, of course. I knew exactly what he was trying to block out, but that simply wasn't healthy for the child. Daniel's habit of bottling things up and blocking them out was just as bad as his desperate cling to naïve notions of justice. In fact, I was relatively confident the two depended on each other. If I could get him to cease this mental blocking and accept and _enjoy_ the perks of his new life, then his notions of justice would soon crumble. Or vise versa, if I could crumble his notions of justice, then the mental blocking would soon follow...

And all it would take is a little persuasion.

A rather sinister smirk curled the edges of my lips, but I didn't question Daniel just yet. Instead I made my way to the desk like I normally would, perusing through emails and checking on updates. Pointless busy work, really. I wanted to make sure Daniel was nice and comfortable before I spoke with him. He finished up his science work, double checking through an assignment and then nodding to himself in satisfaction. Then I watched him pick up his _Republic _book. Perfect.

Impatiently, I waited just a little bit longer. I knew Plato was something he struggled with, and as I predicted, not twenty minutes later his face was already screwed up in irritation. He was almost making this _too _easy.

"Need some help, little badger?"

Daniel jumped when I spoke, turning around and looking up at me with a deadpanned expression.

"Must you do that everyday?"

"You're the one who jumps as though it's unexpected."

He gave me a dry glare, watching as I walked through the couch and sat beside him. I noticed he didn't scoot away this time, though the expression on his face was no less inviting.

"I thought you weren't gonna help me with this." he mumbled bitterly, waving the philosophy book around.

"I took pity on you."

"Gee, thanks."

Daniel sighed and leaned back into the couch, drawing his legs up and flipping through the book with a moody expression.

"Why do I even have to learn philosophy anyways?" he grumbled, scowling at the print.

"Because it teaches you to become a good critical thinker."

"I know how to think."

"Do you?"

"Oh ha ha Vlad. Very funny."

I watched him for a moment, a light smile on my face as he continued to flip through the pages. From the look on his face, it was clear as day that me being so close was making the stress start to build up for him. All it would take was a little prodding to get under the mountainous pile he's bottled up...

"What has Ghostwriter been having you do so far?"

"Well..." Daniel scrunched up his face, "I'm _supposed _to have read up to book four, but I barely understand book one... He's tried to explain it to me, and I know they're talking about justice, but so far I only understand what Thyrasmachus is saying."

Here he turned to me with another deadpanned expression.

"Mainly because Thyrasmachus' philosophy on justice is exactly like _yours_."

"Oh?" I smirked.

"Ghostwriter called it 'ethical egoism'." he returned to flipping through the book, a bit more violently now, "Basically it's the belief that one should do whatever is in their best interest, and that's supposed to be justice."

"You disagree?"

"Of course I disagree!"

"And why's that?"

"Well..." Daniel looked a little taken aback, clearly not expecting me to have asked his opinion, "That's not justice, that's just being selfish!"

"It's selfish to look out for ones self?"

"You know what I mean, Vlad. Don't try to twist my words."

"I'm not twisting your words Daniel. Thyrasmachus states that it is just to do what is in ones best interest, but you call that being selfish. Is it selfish to take care of yourself?"

He blinked, mouth slightly agape.

"Uh...no, I guess not, but you-!"

"I am a human being. I've never claimed to be a saint, little badger. I know exactly how selfish I am. But we're not talking about what _I _do, we're talking about justice being definable as taking care of ones self, something that you shouldn't be so opposed to. ...what do you think the definition of justice is, Daniel?"

"Doing what's right." He said immediately, no doubt in his voice.

"And is it not right to take care of yourself?"

"..."

Graciously, I gave him a moment to think that over. I was careful to keep any smugness out of my expression. Daniel was looking even more confused than when I first started talking to him.

"But...but Socrates can't agree with that..." he mumbled. "He mentioned something about the soul-"

"Oh yes. The harmonious soul argument." I rolled my eyes, "Basically, Socrates' argument for why we should be moral-or just-is that if one is moral then one's soul will be in harmony, and, since such harmony is desirable, the conclusion is that one should be just or moral. Do you hear anything familiar about this?"

I answered before Daniel had a chance to gape at me.

"Socrates is arguing that _it is in our best interest _to be moral for what you determine to be "selfish" reasons. He's basically agreeing with Thyrasmachus."

I really almost felt sorry for the boy. After a moment of shocked silence he looked away, staring at the open space of the room. His brows were furrowed together as he tried to find a way around my logic, eyes narrowing with mounting anger.

"Well Thyrasmachus also said that justice is nothing more than the advantage of the stronger, which is another load of crap. Justice isn't suppose to be used like some tool to get ahead in life, is supposed to help people and make life fair!"

"Which is exactly why it fails. Just behavior only works to the advantage of other people, Daniel, not to the person who behaves justly. You can defend Amity Park for fifty years and the citizens you protect will never truly believe in you. The moment you fail they'll tear you apart and blame all their problems on you, and that doesn't sound very just, now does it? The truth is that justice is merely an imposed convention that doesn't benefit those who adhere to it. The rational thing to do would be to ignore justice entirely."

"I can't do that!" he shook his head, "It doesn't matter if people don't appreciate me. Defending the citizens of Amity Park is the right thing to do!"

"You think so, do you? Let me let you in on a little secret, Daniel, you acting 'justly' only hurts you and benefits me, and I'm supposed to be the villain. How do you rationalize that?

"Okay, _fine_," he yelled, turning to me angrily, "Justice doesn't exist and it's okay to be selfish, but what you do is _completely_ crossing the line!"

"What I do, Daniel, is simply in my best interest."

"No, what you do is _murder_!" he jumped out of his seat furiously, sparks flying in his eyes. I sat back and prepared for the inevitable rant that followed.

"What you do isn't _just _or _moral_! It's cruel! No one _asked _you to take over the world, and no one _wants _you to! Life is worse than ever because of what you've done! Just look at Amity Park! Look at _Kwan_!" his voice cracked, "If you weren't such a power hungry, twisted, conniving fruitloop none of this would be happening! All those people would still be alive and I'd be defending my city like I'm supposed to be doing!"

A flash of anger overtook me and I stood up as well, towering over his furious figure.

"You weren't defending your city, you were destroying yourself!" I yelled. "I watched you throw yourself into life or death situations for cruel and ungrateful citizens day after day, Daniel. You can't lie to me boy, if you had continued to live that sort of life you would have been dead before your twentieth birthday. Is it so wrong what I wanted to save you from that fate?"

"Then why the hell did you have to burn the rest of the world to do that!" he screamed back, "Why couldn't you have just-just _kidnapped _me or something and left the rest of the world alone?"

"Are you honestly trying to tell me you would have listened had I simply 'kidnapped' you?" I asked, skepticism dripping from my voice.

"Well I'm listening now, Vlad!" Daniel cried hysterically, "I'm listening to why you think it was necessary to kill all those innocent people and burn the entire fucking planet!"

"No one is innocent Daniel. _No one._ If I didn't kill them then something else would have eventually. In the end, everybody dies."

"But that doesn't give you the right to decide their deaths for yourself!"

"Would you rather the world go back to what it was? Eating itself alive with all its corruption and consumption? You and everyone else may think me a devil for what I've done to this miserable planet, but I can _guarantee _you people are going to come out better because of it."

"And why the hell would you even care about that?"

"I don't. Frankly, I've lost all compassion for the lying, manipulative, corrupt people on this earth that _you refuse to see_. Look around you Daniel! You constantly advocate naïve notions of justice, but where is your justice now? The truth is, people aren't going to save you because all they care about is themselves. ...Not even your own family is coming to save you."

The look Daniel was giving me was filled with such loathing that it was almost painful, but for all the hate in his eyes, there was twice as much agony.

"You..." he was shaking, eyes red with forced back tears, "...Y-you don't know _anything _about my family."

I stared at him impassively, the air gone still from the sudden lack of shouting.

"My family won't abandon me here." he whispered, gritting his teeth and swallowing thickly.

"They already have, Daniel."

He shook his head, beyond words at this point. Daniel was shaking with the effort to hold back tears and keep his glare up, looking more desperate and broken than anything else. We stared at each other, an unspoken struggle exchanged in the silent air. I waited until the moment was right, taking a step forward-

"Don't." Daniel croaked, stepping back and stumbling into the coffee table.

I didn't listen to him, closing the distance between us in one step and wrapping my arms around him.

"L-Let me go, Vlad!" He yelled angrily, hitting my chest and rebelling against my embrace.

I didn't move, holding him tighter as he continued to struggle. He yelled in fury, pain, and despair, beating his fists on my chest until a sob suddenly tore through his throat and he collapsed in my arms.

Daniel cried, burying his face into my chest and clutching my suit with white knuckled fists. I held him tighter, gently rubbing his back as sob after sob wracked his small frame. He couldn't fight it anymore, completely falling into my embrace and holding me like I was all he had left.

Slowly, I lowered us back to the couch, reclining on the long cushions and taking him with me. Daniel didn't fight, curling up against my chest with his face still buried in my clothes and arms holding me tight. I kept my own arms wrapped around him until he didn't need it anymore, running my fingers through his angel soft hair.

We stayed like that for a long time, a lot longer than I though we would. Even after Daniel's cries reduced to silent sniffles, he remained in my embrace. Neither of us said a word, consumed with thoughts or simply savoring the moment. I knew I'd given Daniel a lot to think about, just as much as I'd damaged his moral resolve. It wasn't completely broken of course, but it was enough that it made an impact. There were a lot of holes in my arguments that Daniel would eventually find and pick out for himself, but when he did I'd simply tear apart his defense all over again and put him back at square one. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Eventually it would wear him down and Daniel would start to see things my way. For now, though, it took a long time before he finally said anything, and when he did it was a question I'd long since planned for.

"...Do you love me, Vlad?"

"So much, Daniel." I replied quietly, hugging him tightly for a moment.

He was quiet, playing with a button on my shirt.

"Then...then why do you hurt me?" he croaked.

I slowly rubbed his back, staring down at his pitiful form on my chest.

"...I don't want to hurt you, little badger." I replied earnestly, pressing my lips against the crown of his head, "Unfortunately...that's all you seem to let me do."

Daniel didn't reply, burying his head in my chest once more and releasing a shuddering breath. I pet his hair again, hand trailing down to caress his back. We stayed like that for so long I was sure Daniel had fallen asleep. When he finally spoke up I almost missed what he said, his voice so very quiet.

"Can...can we just go to bed?"

I smiled gently, his meek and exhausted tone melting my heart. I kissed the crown of his head again before carefully standing up, taking him with me into my arms.

"Of course we can, Daniel." I replied, exiting the silent study and bringing a close to yet another productive day.

* * *

Next chapter stars Clockwork!


	10. Chapter 10

Weeeeeeell this chapter got ridiculously long, so I split it into two. They're both in Maddie's PoV.

Btw, I just wanted to say THANK YOU TO ALL MY READERS WHO ARE STICKING WITH ME DESPITE MY TRAGIC UPDATING PROBLEM! Seriously, I'm workin on it. I've even tried getting up at 5am to dedicate at least two hours a day to writing. The first attempt worked great, but I can't seem to wake up that early again...

No worries, I'll keep tryin. Cause you guys are worth it. :D

* * *

"Sam, sweetie, will you hand me a wrench?"

I blindly reached out for the tool, feeling its weight in my waiting hand not a moment later. Without hesitation I brought it back under the speeder and continued working, tightening bolts, fixing cables, and doing whatever else I could to fix up the Specter Speeder in the short time we had. Things would probably be going much faster if I had Jack here to help me, but he and Jazz were busy holding down the fort at the hotel. I had to make due with the help I had, though I was by no means ungrateful.

I never once dreamed that Valarie, Tucker, and Sam would be the unlikely teenagers to help me traverse the world of my own profession. I've spent years studying ghosts and the ghost zone, but they know more about it than I could ever imagine. Not only that, but on our dangerous trek back to Fenton Works, they'd dodged ghosts and silently taken down enemies with a degree of finesse that's _still_ shocking me. It's hard to believe they're only fifteen.

...It makes me wonder how much Danny knows about these sorts of things, being half-ghost himself...

My scowl deepened as I violently pushed at a stubborn bolt, forcing it back into place. It hurt too much to think about Danny being half-ghost, so I threw myself into rebuilding the speeder instead. I didn't want to think about all of the horrible things my baby has had to go through because of our mistakes, of how much he's suffered and probably still _is _suffering...

"Tucker, I need more grease!" I yelled, roughly clearing my tightening throat.

"Here ya go Mrs. Fenton." he replied almost immediately, sliding a rusted can under the speeder and returning to configuring the ship's hardware without complaint.

Beside me, Valarie grunted with the effort to wrench a lug nut out of place, yanking on the dented panel to reveal the fried cables and wires behind it. She picked through the mess as a hopeless sigh escaped past her frown, snapping her fingers back when a few of the cables sparked.

"What did you guys say you did to this thing?" She glowered, picking through the chaos to find salvageable parts.

"Uh..." Tucker's head was suddenly hanging upside down from the edge of the speeder, "Well this is either from the time we had to chase Vlad around the ghost zone to get the infi-map a second time, or it's from the space battle we had with him up at Saturn."

"Hm," Valarie grunted, her black scowl matching mine, "Judging by the state of this speeder, I'm guessing those fights didn't go so well."

"Nah, they went great." Tucker replied in a light tone, though visibly confused by Valarie's statement. He opened his mouth to ask a question but stopped when Sam call for his help, disappearing from our view.

I looked at the damage done to the speeder, not even wanting to think about what Tucker considered not-great. Our work resumed in silence, none of us having much to say. We were all too consumed with out own thoughts, unspoken emotions swirling around everyone's heads. Anxiety. Pain. Fear. No one knew what to say to fix our apprehension, so we didn't say anything at all. The more the silence stretched on the worse I felt, though. I was supposed to be the adult here. I was supposed to be fixing these children's fears and anxieties. Instead I couldn't even pull away from my own proverbial skeletons to be mature enough to handle the situation.

Although, I don't think these children are actually scared to go into the ghost zone. Nervous, yes, but not scared. They probably aren't even scared of the ghosts, really. It was the unknown outcomes that terrified them, that terrified_ all_ of us. The uncertainty of how this Clockwork fellow would respond to our pleas for help had us on edge. If he didn't help then we'd be forced to go ahead with the next plan of action, but what if there weren't enough ghost allies to help us fight Vlad? What if we ended up alone in our fight? What if we failed?

More importantly, what if we never saved Danny?

These questions twisted and churned in my stomach-in _all _our stomaches, bringing us down to the same level of icy cold fear. In the face of failure, there wasn't a difference between adults and teenagers. We were all the same thing: defeated. It took a lot of effort to fight against this overpowering fear with the small glimmer of hope we had. However, compared to the alternative of giving up, we were willing to fight it.

"How much longer do you think repairs will take?" Sam asked, bending down to look at me.

"The thrusters are our main concern, at this point," I replied gruffly, kicking out from under the speeder and standing up. "Valarie finished with the engine a couple hours ago, so that leaves us with the thrusters, the fuel tank, and the ghost shield."

"Will we be able to fix the ghost shield?" Tucker's head popped out from the open door, "I thought that was broken beyond repair."

I hesitated, remembering the demolished hardware and unable to help inwardly agreeing with Tucker.

"I want to at least try." I replied uncertainly, "Having Valarie will be great for defense, but I don't want to take any chances. If we break down in there, we won't be getting out anytime soon. With Jazz and Jack all the way at the hotel, there's no one who will be able to help us."

It seemed the sobering thought hadn't quite hit the two teens in front of me until I said it out loud. We all knew this was a dangerous mission, but sometimes I wondered if the kids under my responsibility really understood the kind of danger they were putting themselves in. For that matter, I often wondered if they understood the danger they've _been_ putting themselves in all along? Honestly, I'm surprised their parents didn't forbid them from coming on this excursion, but they both said they were allowed, and we need them to find Clockwork's lair, so...

"We're taking whatever guns we can salvage too." I continued, steeling my voice. "The ghouls ransacked our house the day Vlad took Danny, but I think there are a few guns we can use just in case."

Sam and Tucker nodded without question, the former walking off to pick through the mess to find any useful weapons. Tucker ducked back inside the speeder as Valarie's voice came out from under the ship.

"I'm looking at the thrusters now and there doesn't seem to be much damage to them, but the wiring connecting them to the mainframe is completely burned through."

"Alright." I sighed, picking out a few tools from our box of meager supplies and kneeling to slide back under the machine. "Do you know how to splice wires, Valarie?"

For the next several hours we worked with focused determination, mostly in silence. Tucker was fine on his own with the technical repairs, so that left me more time to help Sam and Valarie as we worked on everything else. Valarie, however, seemed to know what she was doing for the most part, and I expect this was because of her previous experience with ghost hunting and ghost hunting technology. Sam needed a little more help, but I was impressed by her ingenuity and quick learning. She picked up on things fast and already knew more about ghost technology than I originally thought, so that gave me time to focus on the more complicated aspects of the repairs.

Without a doubt, having Jack here would have sped things up. My husband may be a goof, but when it comes to ghost technology, he knows his stuff. However, given the current situation, I couldn't have asked for a better substitute team.

Our work was occasionally punctuated with breaks and status updates for Jazz and Jack back at the hotel. Tucker had set up a hastily made walkie-talkie system, but it was very scratchy and sometimes cut out due to the state of the materials the teen had been forced to work with. In the end though, it got the job done. You just had to scream a few times before anyone on the other side could hear you.

As the afternoon wore on and turned into evening and then stretched into night, I finally had to demand a halt in the repairs. Sam, Tucker, and Valarie had objected loudly, but the dark circles under their eyes spoke louder than words. I may be unsure about the outcome of our mission, but I _am _still the adult here. If I can't fix their fears I can at least fix their exhaustion.

Their fatigue and my insistence won out in the end. They ambled to the other side of the room, dropping to the blankets and pillows laid out on the floor. I eventually followed after doing a final inspection of the speeder and tightly locking the lab door, sealing us in the dark, underground room like rats. I double checked the portal as well. It's been locked since we first came here about two nights ago, but every now and then you'll hear weak slams against the metal, giving away the presence of an angry ghost trying to get in... It wasn't long before I was laying on my own pillow, close to the children so I could keep an eye on them, but also angled so I could watch the portal and lab door. The weapons on my HAZMAT suit were poised and easy to reach, and all was silent in the pitch black, sleep-ready lab.

But I couldn't even shut my eyes.

In the utter silence around us, it was easy to listen to the three teens slowly drop off into unconsciousness. It took a while, but Tucker was the first to drift off. Valarie eventually followed after that, and Sam put up the longest fight, remaining awake for at least another hour before finally succumbing to her weariness. I tried to close my eyes once they were safely in dreamland, figuring it had just been my motherly instincts keeping me up. The bliss of REM sleep continued to allude me though, my thoughts running a mile a minute and going exactly where I didn't want them to go.

I know it's not healthy, but I can't help myself. No matter how hard I try, whenever I'm not busy throwing myself into my work, all I can think about is Danny. And Vlad. And the scientific possibility of half-ghosts. And of what kind of person it takes to _completely miss _the fact that her own son is half-ghost. Not just any ghost, but _Danny Phantom_. How many times did he try to tell us that he wasn't evil? How many times did he protect us even when we...when we _shot _at him? All this time the signs were right there in our faces, in _my _face, but I was just too damn blind to see it. Instead I gunned down my only son on more than one occasion and then yelled at him when he would limp home past curfew _because of me!_

No matter how many times I go through it in my head, the pain just gets worse and worse. It's at least bearable when I have Jack with me. Then I can curl up in his big arms and cry the hurt away until it builds back up again. But in this silence? In this room where ten feet away my baby lost half of his humanity?

I couldn't sleep in the lab. Everything reminded me of Danny, and not in a good way. All I could see was the ghost life he could never tell us about and all the struggles he had to deal with on his own. I know it wasn't very responsible, but the portal was quiet and I made sure to shut the lab door behind me when I went upstairs. My eyes were blind to the destruction around our living room, refusing to acknowledge the damage still present from the day I last saw my son.

Instead I travel up the next flight of stairs, silent as a ghost in the cold, empty house. Our old hallway seemed to creek eerily when I reached the second floor, Jazz's bedroom door slowly swaying in time with the wind coming through her broken window. I didn't pay attention to the deadness of my old home, or at least I tried not to. Heart slowly constricting in my chest, I took the last few steps into Danny's room and felt something crack inside of me. I don't know why I came into his room when I knew all it would bring me was pain, but I needed to be here.

It was exactly as he left it that bitter Monday so long ago. Dirty laundry was slowly migrating out of the filled basket and homework was strewn across his desk, half-shoved into his backpack as though he'd been planning on going to school. His bed was unmade, a few left over snack dishes were sitting on his dresser, and all his posters were haphazardly placed on the walls. Aside from the layer of dust and feeling of cold abandonment, he could have been walking around in here just a few minutes ago.

It was that thought which drove me to stumble toward his bed, falling onto the creaky mattress as tears slipped down my face. If I closed my eyes I could even smell him again, further tricking myself into believing that I'd just wished him a good day at school and that I'd see him in a few hours. It didn't work very well, but for a few blissful seconds...

Eventually I slipped into a fitful sleep, dreaming of Danny and listening to his screams all night.

-XxX

The next morning brought dreary clouds and the same smothering ache in my chest. I was back in the lab before the kids woke up, deciding to get a head start on the speeder because there was nothing else I could do. I didn't have the heart to wake the children. They all looked so tired...

However, it wasn't long before they woke up on their own, almost silently eating the canned fruit I'd set out for them and then getting right back to work. It bothered me how robotic their movements were, but I couldn't think of anything to say to make it better. After all, what _could _I say? Conversation had long ago been exhausted, so with the usual emptiness, we all got to work again.

It was hours later when a small flicker of life picked up in the deadened atmosphere. Valarie grunted from underneath the ship, pushing herself out just as I was approaching the speeder. She was covered in grease stains and sweating profusely, curly hair sticking to her face in some places. I didn't look any better, having been under the speeder for the last three hours as well. Valarie's expression looked just a little less bleak though, determination shining more brightly than her repressed misery. Steely green eyes met mine when I approached and I knew what she was going to say before the words formed on her lips.

"I think we're done."

Tucker stopped tinkering with a few guns on the other side of the room and Sam slowly stood straight from rummaging through spare parts on the floor. Valarie's statement didn't bring the sudden uplift of hope that I wanted. The three kids were looking at me like they didn't believe it, waiting for me to give the final word. It was sobering, again being reminded of the young lives I was responsible for and just how dangerous it would be to take them into the ghost zone. I couldn't loose my resolve though. I _needed _to save Danny.

"Are you sure? What about the leak in the fuel tank?" I looked to Valarie, wanting to be extra sure that everything was taken care of.

"I doubled the seal."

"And the thrusters?"

"Triple checked."

"What about the main frame?" I turned to Tucker, who supported a lopsided grin and a thumbs up.

"Totally covered, Mrs. Fenton."

"Good." I nodded, staring back at the shaky looking speeder. I still wasn't comfortable with using it to take these children into the ghost zone, but we couldn't afford spend more time on repairs.

"I really wish we had a ghost shield, though..." I muttered out loud, tapping my lip with a worried frown.

"What about using this thing?"

Sam's voice quickly caught our attention. She stuck her hand into a relatively organized pile she'd made and pulled out the battered remains of a small ghost shield. It was individual in size, maybe big enough to cover half the speeder if it worked. The small box was roughly the size of a toaster, and upon closer inspection I realized that it _was _a toaster. This was one of our early models.

"I don't think that's going to work, sweetie."

"Why not? It looks a little beat up, but since it's so small maybe you or Tucker could fix it up real fast and we could attach it to the outside of the speeder."

"This is one of our early models of a ghost shield." I walked up to her, taking the device from her hands and inspecting it. It was actually in better condition than I originally thought...

"Well, so?" Sam shrugged, stubbornly clinging to her idea. "It may not be a very _good _ghost shield, but at least it's _some _kind of shield. I think if there's even a small chance of it working, we should use it. I really don't want to end up stranded in the ghost zone."

I was still frowning, giving the box an even closer inspection. The circumference of the shield might not be very big, but it was definitely fixable. I could probably have it done in an hour, in fact. Sam was right, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have a little extra protection. Plus, there were plenty of repairs left to be made on the speeder, so we could use the extra time.

"It'll have to be activated manually once it's attached to the ship, which means Valarie will have to turn it on." I announced, already walking to a counter and clearing a space.

Sam's lips widened into a weak, but true smile, following behind me as I started taking apart the shield and repairing it.

"It shouldn't take more than an hour to fix this and attach it to the ship, so I want all of you working on whatever needs your attention in the meantime."

"You mean everything, then?" Tucker muttered, giving the ship a slightly wary look.

Sam rolled her eyes and walked off to grab Tucker, dragging the complaining boy back to the ship and shoving some tools in his hands. The three teens dedicated themselves to the speeder yet again, more life in their movements this time. However, admiration would have to be set aside for the task at hand, so I swiftly returned my attention to the shield and got to work as well.

Forty five minutes later, our last bit of hard work paid off.

Valarie helped me attach it to the speeder, placing it in a relatively safe spot near the back of the ship. We bolted it down with crudely bent metal and a couple of screws. By the time we were finished, it wasn't going anywhere. Sam and Tucker high-fived each other when I finally stepped off the speeder, giving all of our hard work a satisfied nod. Valarie looked up at me with a weak smile when I squeezed her shoulder proudly, green eyes starting to blaze with a renewed fire.

"Alright you three," Sam and Tucker quieted at my business tone, though their smiles didn't drop. "I want each of you suited up with as many weapons as you can carry, no exceptions. Our goal is to get to Clockwork's lair as quickly as possible, which means avoiding any monsters we see out there. However, we all know how unpredictable the ghost zone is."

They all exchanged experienced nods, Tucker rolling his eyes with Sam.

"That being said, I want each of us armed and ready as soon as we go in there. Remember, we don't have any weapons on the speeder, so we must be alert at _all times_."

"No worries Mrs. Fenton, we got this." Tucker grinned cockily, twirling a miniature blaster in his hands.

"Of course you do sweetie, but it never hurts to be prepared. Sam, how many weapons were you able to salvage."

"Five blasters, a few lipstick lasers, and one bazooka that might have one more shot left in it."

"Good job, go on and load those up in the speeder. Tucker will help you. Valarie," I turned to the order ready, young woman as the other two ran off to load up the guns. She was fearless, gazing up at me with a look well beyond her years. For a moment I forgot what I wanted to stay, suddenly wishing she wasn't looking at me like a battle hardened veteran.

"Valarie, I want you to be very careful." I said gently. "I know you're experienced with this, but if anything happens to you..."

I wouldn't be able to bear it if another young life was taken away because of me.

"Don't you worry, Mrs. Fenton. I won't fail you."

Before I could tell her that I wasn't worried about that part, she pressed a button on the pack she was always carrying. I jumped back when a black and red suit suddenly enveloped her body, sticking to her like a second skin yet glowing with a level of technological excellence that I couldn't help but marvel at. Valarie did something with her heels and a custom made hover board unfolded under her feet, instantly shooting her up in the air.

"Consider that speeder under my personal protection."

The awe hadn't quite died off when she whipped out a well concealed gun and charged it. I knew her suit was designed by Vlad and modified by another evil ghost, but the flawless design impressed me none-the-less. I finally closed my mouth and gave her a relenting nod, knowing she wouldn't settle for anything less than my approval.

"Just be careful, Valarie."

"Ship's all loaded up!" Tucker announced, hanging out of the speeder door again. Sam leaned out beside him, looking at me expectantly.

Butterflies were starting to flutter in my stomach, but I didn't have time to focus on that. After alerting Jack and Jazz to our departure, I gave the lab a final look over. My eyes were peeled for anything that could be of use or anything left behind. It was critical that we were well armed and prepared for this mission. I couldn't completely fool myself though. My eyes lingered a little too long on all the broken beakers and experiments that Jack and I had pour our hearts and souls into, roaming over past memories and familiar sights pointlessly-

I stopped. The three teens were silent when I walked over to the space where our family bulletin board had fallen, shifting through the pile of pictures on the ground until I found the one I was looking for. Steps echoing slightly, I finally got into the speeder and shut the door with a dull click. Tucker and Sam didn't say a word when I taped the slightly singed picture of Danny to the control panel of the speeder.

"Valarie? Can you hear me?" I tested the intercom that would be our means of communication with the young woman in the zone.

"Yeah, I hear ya' Mrs. F. You guys ready?"

I looked back at Sam and Tucker. _Were_ we ready? I had just enough time to reflect on how silly a question that was before replying,

"Open the portal."

Valarie flew forward and removed the rigged lock on the heavy metal doors, shoving them open and drifting back when they automatically slid into place. The pool of swirling greens glowed just as eerily as the one in the hotel basement, letting in an unidentifiable chill that was already permeating the speeder. Silently, Valarie slipped into the circle of green as was the plan, scoping out the area beyond for potential danger. For a few tense seconds we waited in silence, exhaling with relief when her thumbs up appeared from the portal and then disappeared again.

"Here we go..." I breathed, easing on the accelerator and entering the ghost zone.

I don't think Sam or Tucker realize that this is actually my first time entering the zone. I may have spent countless years analyzing it and reviewing videos from the cameras Jack and I had sent out, but actually being in this alternate dimension was something completely different. Naturally, the first thing I noticed was how utterly dead everything felt. It was such a dramatic change from the world I'd been in two seconds earlier that I couldn't stop the shiver that shook my spine. Sam and Tucker glanced at me, the former suddenly realizing that this was my first expedition into the zone, judging by the look on her face. Thankfully she didn't point it out, instead giving me an encouraging smile that helped settle my agitated stomach.

However, the further we ventured, the more tense we became. The ghost zone was disturbingly quiet...

"I'm not seeing anything out here." Valerie said quietly over the intercom, a thick frown in her voice.

"This is weird." Sam's brows furrowed. "Usually you can always hear background noise, like cackling or screaming ghosts, but I can't hear a thing."

"Stay on your toes, everyone." I said firmly, speaking through the intercom as well. "It's likely the absence of ghosts has to do with Vlad. No doubt they're all in our world terrorizing everyone."

"Probably." Tucker murmured. "But it's still weird."

We were silent after that. Sam and Tucker took control of the speeder, having more experience with the controls and being the only ones who knew which direction to go. I kept my eyes peeled as they focused on driving, though I was unable to stop my ever present awe as I drank in the sights of the ghost world.

It seemed to go on forever, just as Jack and I suspected from our camera videos. Still, like I mentioned before, seeing a picture of space and being in space are two very different things. The same idea applied here, though instead of stars there where thousands of purple doors that lead to places unknown.

"Do you kids know where all those doors lead?" I asked, a question that's been plaguing me since Jack and I first saw pictures of the zone.

"They all belong to a different ghost's lair." Sam replied, scanning the world of green.

"_All _of them?" I gapped.

"Mhmm. Danny's been in a few. He says they're all different, and that a ghost can customize their lair to however they want."

"Fascinating..." I breathed, wonderment taking over for a moment. It wasn't long before my wandering eye caught sight of a large floating hunk of rock in the distance. However, unlike the barren one's we'd been passing, this one was covered with a dense foliage.

"Is that...a forest?" I furrowed my brows.

But Sam and Tucker tensed at the sight of the approaching mass, directing the speeder as far away from the floating island as possible.

"_That _is Skulker's lair." Tucker winced, pressing on the intercom button, "Valerie, be careful. That floating island over there is the lair of a particularly violent ghost."

"Skulker? The mechanical one?" I frowned, remembering past fights between my son and a large metal ghost who often shouted that name as his own.

"Yep. He's the self-proclaimed 'ghost zone's greatest hunter', and although he's pretty much got a one track mind, he's also got a loooot of weapons."

"He's Vlad's right hand man, too, which makes him even more dangerous." Sam's scowl darkened.

I glared at the mass of trees and rocks, taking note of the unnaturally purple plants and red volcano. We all waited on pins and needles as we passed the island, trying to muffle the random sounds coming from our spluttering speeder with distance. However, to everyone's relief and in some cases surprise, not a peep was heard from the island.

"Okay, now this is just creepy." Tucker frowned, clearly upset with the fact that we weren't attacked.

No one responded, a firm frown set into everyone's faces as we slipped by the silent island. Sam glanced at it one last time before urging the speeder forward, her well concealed anxiety slipping out through jerky movements.

"Lets just keep going." She murmured. "We have a long way to go."

No one objected and so we moved forward, passing hundreds of doors, mystifying landmasses, and countless floating rocks. The closest thing to a ghost we passed were some half-formed blobs of post-human consciousness. They clung to the rocks far below, sliding around dead trees and broken gravestones as they slowly collected enough ectoplasm to become sentient. Sam and Tucker kept a firm eye ahead of them, briefly glancing at anything that moved and quickly avoiding it whether it looked threatening or not.

We'd been traveling for about two hours when something exciting happened.

A shrill scream came out of nowhere, shooting past us in a bright green blur. Tucker yelped and jumping back from the controls as Sam pressed her face to the glass, trying to find the offending specter. Slightly shaken up myself, I quickly pressed the intercom button.

"Valarie, what was that?"

"I don't know." She breathed heavily, clearly startled. "It just shot past me. It didn't even register on my sensors! I...I'm not even sure that was a ghost!"

I frowned, looking around the world of green with Sam.

"It flew off in that direction." she muttered, pointing to the right where a complicated rock formation was floating.

I opened my mouth to say something but another scream beat me to it. Valarie was ready this time, shooting swiftly at the speeding blur. Her blasts went right through it though, not even hindering the agonized creature. Sam and I watched as the creature flew into the rock formation, diving into a crevice and disappearing.

"What _are_ those things?" Tucker gasped.

"My attacks aren't working." Valarie's troubled voice buzzed through, thick with irritation. "I don't understand why though, there's _designed _to harm ghosts, what-"

"Shh!" Sam suddenly hissed, shoving the ship forward.

"Sam!" Tucker exclaimed, falling on his face from the sudden move. "What the heck?"

She didn't respond, quickly turning the speeder around so we could watch as two more screaming blurs flew past the space we were floating seconds ago and dive into the crevice. Tucker blinked, picking himself up and gawking openly at the creatures.

"Where the heck are they _going_?" he gaped.

We didn't respond, but Valarie inched her board closer to the rock formation, making my heart leap to my throat.

"Valarie!" I hissed, "What are you doing? We don't know how dangerous it is!"

"Seriously Val, your guns don't work on them either." Tucker pitched in, worry coating is tone.

"They're not attacking us." She replied in a firm voice. "If they wanted to they would have done it already. I just want to know..."

Her voice trailed off as she got closer to the mass of rock, guns habitually raised in defense as she inched closer. I was powerless to stop her, forced to wait with the other two children. Our hearts were our throats, all of us jumping when another screaming blur shot toward the gap and slithered inside. The thing didn't even acknowledge Valarie, who was hovering barely a yard from the fracture in the rock. She inched closer, peering inside.

"It...it looks like there's a little portal down there." She said, confusion lacing her words.

"A portal?" I murmured, as baffled as everyone else.

"These...things...they just dive right inside of it." the huntress continued. "And...I got a closer look at the one that just shot by. It...it sort of looks like a person."

"What?" I gaped, stomach twisting uncomfortably.

Valarie inched away as two more creatures shot towards the portal, though this time one of the blurs was noticeably smaller and seemed to cling to the larger one, like a child would to a parent. I still had no idea what was going on, but a sickening hunch was creeping into my brain and making me pale. Sam didn't miss this.

"What is it, Mrs. Fenton?" she asked warily.

I glanced at her, shaking my head.

"I...I'm not really sure, but...those _could _be the very beginning stages of a ghost. A kind of human echo, similar to a soul, which forms just after death."

"Wait." Tucker squeaked, "You mean those screaming things are people who just died in the human world?"

"I don't know for sure, and there's no need to jump to conclusions." I responded hastily, taking note of Valarie as she inched away from the fissure. "After all, a newly formed ghost wouldn't be itching to get back into the human world. At that stage, those echos are supposed to be soaking up the natural energy of the ghost zone. Why they're zoning in on such a small portal makes no sense..."

"Look, lets just chalk it up to ghost zone weirdness and keep going. Those echo things aren't a threat to us, and we need to find Clockwork as soon as we can." Sam spoke up, breaking me from my intrigued pondering before it could go too far. But something continued to bother me.

Something was clearly attracting the echos, but what? And _why_?

"I'm with Sam. Those things are seriously creeping me out." Tucker briskly agreed, turning back to the speeder without a second glance.

"...Mrs. Fenton?"

"Right, sorry." I shook my head, focusing on the task at hand. Danny was much more important than oddly acting echos, after all. "Lets keep moving."

The hours stretched on. Sam and Tucker excellently maneuvered us away from more dangerous areas of the zone, taking us through decrepit graveyards and dead forests. No ghouls or malevolent ghosts lingered in these areas, just the formless blobs busy drinking up the energy of the zone. A few of the stronger ones took pot shots at us, but Valarie easily took care of them and scared the rest off.

Eventually, though, we couldn't keep to the 'safer' edges of the zone. As we ventured deeper, the green world around us became noticeably...thicker, like the dead pressure that comes from the bottom of a trench. Rock formations became few and far between, the purple doors rapidly decreased in number. Nothing around us could be used as good cover, and our white ship was like a glowing beacon to anything that wanted a snack. We fought our way through gravity defying goo, tried our best to avoid the occasional floating rock that would appear out of nowhere, and jumped at the slightest hint of movement.

The unpredictable nature of the zone made the stress thicken both inside and outside the speeder. Tucker gave me a halfhearted smile when I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but it didn't last long. Sam's eyes were focused, inconsolable with simple touches or gently spoken words. In a way we all were, I suppose, too busy trying to avoid death as we surrounded ourselves with it.

Before long the constant edginess frayed away at our nerves, making patience run thin. We held it back for a few more hours, but after being in this dead, more ancient and _dangerous _part of the zone, tensions ran too high.

"I thought you said you knew where you were going?" Valarie barked through the intercom.

"We _do _know where we're going, Valarie." Sam responded in an equally acidic tone.

"Then why aren't we there yet? We've been flying in circles for hours, and I know we have because I've seen that stupid cluster of rocks twice now!"

I briefly glanced at some floating boulders in the distance, but focused back on the fight I was going to have to dispel. Out of all of us, Valarie certainly had the least patience, but I couldn't blame the poor girl.

"Getting to Clockwork isn't as easy as following a path to his lair and waltzing through the front door! Besides, stuff in the zone moves all the time. You can't base your direction too heavily on them." Sam snapped.

"What do you mean it's not that easy?" Valarie ignored the last part of Sam's comment. "You've gotten there before, so I don't understand why you keep flying us in circles now!"

"Uh...that's not _entirely _true." Tucker winced, "Danny told us where Clockwork lives, but we've never...actually gone there ourselves."

I froze in the middle of rubbing my temples, slowly raising my head to stare at the chagrin faced boy.

"What do you _mean _you've never gone there yourselves?" I asked forcefully, stomach starting to drop with disbelief.

Sam muttered something that sounded like 'thanks a lot Tucker', but kept her focused glare on driving the speeder.

"It's just...uh..." Tucker's eyes looked at everything but me, wringing his hands together, "See we've _been _to Clockwork's before, but we've never actually..._gotten _there. Danny's the only one whose actually flown to Clockwork's lair, but he totally told us how to get there and he gave us really good directions, right Sam?"

The goth girl didn't respond, letting Valarie hiss a question through noticeably clenched teeth.

"So then _why _are we _lost_?"

Tucker faltered and I couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"I can't believe you two didn't tell us this." I said gravely, shaking my head. Tucker had the decency to look ashamed, even Sam haunching her shoulder's slightly. "I had no idea your directions were based on word of mouth and not by personal experience. You two have been in the ghost zone, you _know _that it is constantly changing and shifting! How could you be so foolish as to come here without a clear heading?"

"It was the only choice we had!" Sam finally said something, keeping her eyes on the zone but gripping the controls even harder. "We knew you wouldn't let us try and find Clockwork if we said we hadn't actually gone there ourselves!"

"Of course I wouldn't! Do you have any idea of the danger you've placed us all in, placed _yourself _in? I never would have okayed this mission had I known, no matter how powerful this Clockwork figure is!"

"But he can make everything okay again! We had to at least _try _for Danny's sake?"

"For _Danny_?" I shouted, fury igniting on the spot at my son's mentioning, "Do you think Danny would _ever _want you to risk your lives like this? And not only your life, but what about Valarie? I will _not _have anymore children get hurt or _die _on my watch, not after loosing my son!"

My throat tightened painfully, constricting my words. Tucker was staring at the ground, shame keeping him still as a statue. The speeder slowed down as Sam stopped forcing the controls forward, her shoulders slowly sagging. I couldn't say anything else to them, though, feeling like such an _idiot_. I should have made absolutely sure that they knew where they were going. These children were _my _responsibility, and yet again I failed to ask all the right questions.

"And now...now were lost in the ghost zone..." I mumbled to myself.

Sam and Tucker didn't say anything in response, keeping their heads down. Valarie was the one to eventually break the silence, her voice still hard and clearly angry.

"So what do we do now? I mean we've come this far, so I don't think there's much else to do but keep going and hope we find Clockwork..."

Sam and Tucker were watching me anxiously, the decision resting on my shoulders. As much as I hated to admit it though, Valarie had a point. We were already this far in... And Clockwork was the best hope I had for getting my baby boy back. Had I known Sam and Tucker didn't know the way to Clockwork's, this mission never would have happened, but since we're already here...

A creeping sense of guilt started to sneak in as I took the controls from Sam and pressed on, but I forced the feeling away. I just had to remind myself that even though it was dangerous, Sam, Tucker, and Valarie all knew what they were getting themselves into. And we were so close to finding Clockwork... I just wanted my son back.

"What were the specific directions that Danny gave you?" I asked sternly, determined to take control of the mission now and prevent anymore mistakes.

"Uuuh, he said head to the oldest and creepiest part of the zone. Clockwork's layer looks like a big dark clock-tower, and when you start to see floating gears, you're getting close."

"So are we supposed to just fly around aimlessly and hope we start to see some gears?" Valarie snorted through the intercom.

"Basically, yeah." Sam snapped back. "Unfortunately, Danny was never very good at giving directions, but we should still be able to find the ghost with what we know."

Valarie mumbled something incoherent, but didn't start a fight, instead taking the lead and flying ahead. After a quick hesitation I followed with the speeder, trying not to wonder if this was a mistake.

Three hours later, I was starting think that it was.

"Guys look, there's a gear! Oh...oh wait never mind, that's just a rock."

"Tucker!" Sam smacked him on the head. "Stop _doing _that!"

"Whaaat? I don't do it on _purpose_!"

Sam rolled her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose and trying not to hit something. Tucker scowled, pouting at the empty zone around us. I worked hard to restrain my own tension, as well as the little voice in my head telling me to give up and take these children home. I just couldn't shake the feeling that if we looked for a little while longer...

"Guys." Valarie's voice suddenly came through the intercom, alarmingly troubled. "There's something out there and it's not a clock-tower."

"Where?" I asked immediately, all my senses going into high alert.

"Look to your left. Do you see it?"

Sam, Tucker and I strained our eyes, faces pressed against the glass. The zone was utterly quiet though, still devoid of any movement and sounds. Other than the floating rocks, of course.

"...I don't see anything." Tucker frowned, voicing the thought running through my head.

"I swear, something was just there." She responded in a huff, the whine of one of her guns coming in through the intercom.

"All I see is that stupid cluster of rocks again." Sam said irritatedly, adding with a mutter, "Maybe we _are _flying in circles..."

"No, something _moved _over there." She girl with the guns remained stubborn, voice still tense.

"Well...maybe it's hiding behind one of the rocks or something." Tucker suggested weakly. "We can still avoid it if we keep going."

I stared at the cluster of rocks, eyes narrowed with suspicion. What's the likely hood of coming across them three times in the ghost zone? Maybe it was simply a different set of rocks? However, a twist in my gut told me there was something more sinister going on here...

"Keep your eyes peeled, Valarie, especially on those rocks. We're going to try avoiding whatever it is that's out there." I spoke through the intercom, turning to the other two children. "I want you both to keep a sharp eye too. We need all the surveillance we can get."

They nodded, taking opposite sides of the speeder and peering through all the windows. I pushed the ship forward, simultaneously trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach and the ominous voice in my head. The longer we stayed out here, the more this expedition was falling to pieces. Clockwork was no where to be found and now this? We'd been lucky to avoid any creatures for the past several hours, but it looked like our luck was about to run out.

"There it is again!" Valarie shouted, another gun whining to attention.

"What did you see?" I demanded firmly, determined to keep things under control. I couldn't let any of these children get hurt. Not here, and especially not like this.

"One of those rocks just moved, I know it!"

"Are...are they getting closer?" Tucker squeaked, staring at the rocks through a side window.

"Valarie, turn the ghost shield on." I ordered, not liking this one bit. "I think whatever's out there has been watching us for quite a while..."

Tucker whined fearfully, still staring out the window. I pressed harder on the gas, but not too hard. Though I didn't want to, my eyes wandered to the fuel gage that was quickly approaching half empty. We were running out of time.

"They're definitely getting closer!" The nervous boy announced.

"Just stay calm!" I yelled, not sounding very calm at all. If we were attacked and never made it home, it would be all my fault. All because I couldn't-I wasn't-

Valarie acted on her own, unable to take the tension building before the impending attack. We all jumped when a gun fired, a swear escaping my lips. Immediately we spun our gaze around to see what the blast would do, dread coiling in our stomachs. Whatever Valarie shot, it flew straight for the cluster of boulders and exploded right in the middle of it. A resounding boom echoed across the zone, and for a few tense seconds nothing happened.

Then all hell broke loose.

An animalistic screech reverberated around us, the ear-piercing cacophony coming directly from the cluster of rocks. Heart-stopping horror flooded through every single one of our veins as a massive black cloud rose up from the rocks, spreading out like a tangible disease. My breath stopped short, body icing over again with a paralyzing fear. They were flying right towards us.

"Valarie, get out of there _now_!" I yelled, spinning the speeder in the opposite direction of the things flying at us and slamming on the thrusters.

The fuel gage took a dangerous dip, but I couldn't focus on that. The zone was suddenly full of noise, a horrible screaming and screeching sound that was reminiscent of birds. Valarie had no trouble keep up with us on her board, shooting like mad into the cloud heading our way.

"There's too many of them!" Sam screamed over the racket, grabbing a gun, forcing one of the windows open, and shooting like crazy.

I grit my teeth and pushed forward, desperately looking for anything to take cover behind. The speeder couldn't handle an attack like this. There must be over a hundred of the creatures chasing after us! Every rock formation that flew past us was too small though, and our options were running out. Fear spiked through me when I glanced out one of the speeder mirrors and saw the creatures already dangerously close.

"They're gaining on us!" Tucker shouted.

"Ya think?" Sam snapped back, still shooting out the window.

"Aw man, where's Danny's ghostly wail when you need it?" the male teen whined, shoving a window open and shooting as well.

I didn't have time to question Tucker's comment, much to preoccupied with the monsters right on our tail. Valarie flew in and out of sight, her face screwed up in hateful determination to exterminate the beasts. Powerful gun shots mixed with the screeching, dying shrieks letting us know that she hit her targets. I glanced at the fuel gage again, more than just fear flooding my brain. At this rate we wouldn't have enough power to get back home.

Something suddenly slammed into the speeder, not enough to throw it off course, but enough to make everyone scream in fright. A stream of curse words was coming in through the intercom as Valarie desperately tried to fight off the swarm of monsters on her own, but she was grossly out numbered. They were starting to reach the speeder, flying into it like the rocks they hid behind. White hot panic was creeping in, but I had to keep it together. If I didn't we were all going to die out here.

"Valarie, get in the speeder! There's too many of them!" I yelled through the intercom.

If she responded I didn't hear it. The screeching was reaching deafening levels by now and the speeder was getting hit from all sides. I couldn't see Valarie and that terrified me, my eyes wide as I looked everywhere in the chaos outside the window. Some of the creatures flew in and out of sight, allowing us to get a first good look at them.

They were some type of large bird monsters, though with the skeletal bodies, black flesh, and neon green eyes, they looked more like monsters than birds. Feathers of varying darker shades covered parts of their bodies and looked like they'd been plucked out in others. Some of the creatures had disturbing impressions running across their warped bodies, like something had run over them. The more alarming aspect was their claws and beak, the color of a rotted corpse and frighteningly sharp.

"Valarie! _Valarie_!" I screamed, heart beating madly in my throat. I couldn't loose her, not another one, I couldn't-I could't loose-

The red huntress didn't reply, but I saw her fly right across the window of the speeder. Blinding horror washed through me when I caught sight of the three monsters on her tail, two already attacking her struggling form.

"Sam, open the hatch!" I screamed, acting without thinking.

In a difficult maneuver I didn't even know I could do, I violently spun the speeder around and threw off any monsters attempting to claw their way in. Sam opened the hatch at the perfect moment, having a clear shot at the monsters attacking Valarie and taking it. Valarie spun away for a moment but immediately righted her board, flying straight for the open hatch even as more birds flew in for the kill.

"Valarie, look out!" Tucker yelled, coming around Sam's shoulder and shooting down the birds on her tail.

Valarie barreled into the two teens a moment later. I jumped up from my seat to close the hatch, kicking one of the screeching birds away before locking it shut.

"Oh god Valarie, are you alright?" I breathed, immediately falling to the bleeding girl's side without a second thought.

"We have to get out of here!" Sam yelled, jumping over the fallen teen and taking hold of the controls.

She slammed on the gas, whipping her way between attacking monsters. Tucker quickly pulled the windows shut, shooting at the birds that tried to wedge their claws and beaks between the small opening. My heart was hammering in my chest, panic starting to take over as Valarie's warm blood stained my hands. There were too many monsters. We weren't going to-

"_I SEE A GEAR_!" Tucker screamed, his voice cracking.

Sam glanced back at his pointing finger and twisted the speeder in it's direction, not asking questions and pressing on the gas again. Valarie moaned deliriously, already trying to get back on her feet as we barrel through the swarm of beasts.

"There's another one! Keep going, Clockwork can't be far!" The panicking boy cried, glancing fearfully around the speeder as the ghost birds continued to slam into it. Alarms were going off all around us, mixing with the swarming chaos. I was still clinging to Valarie.

"Valarie, honey, stay with me, it's going to be okay. Valarie? Valarie?"

Her head rolled on her shoulders, blood leaking from the gash in her leg and arm. I couldn't think of what to do, I couldn't think of anything! All around me there was screaming and screeching and there was nothing I could do but sit here uselessly. Tucker kept shouting at Sam to go faster, and Sam was glaring determinedly at some tower looking thing in the distance. But amidst all the chaos I could only think about the bleeding girl in my arms, wondering if this is how Danny was going to die.

"Sam, slow down! We're gonna crash!" Tucker shouted in panic.

"No we're not!"

I looked up in time to see a tower comprised of gears and stone before the oncoming doors registered in my brain. By then, though, we were already crashing through the entrance, darkness overtaking the failing speeder. The brakes were slammed and we were all thrown to the floor. Then everything was silent.


	11. Chapter 11

Good news! After this chapter I can finally stop focusing so much on the Resistance! You know what thaaaaat meeeeeans! :D The next several chapters will focus heavily on Danny and Vlad, and oh boy do I have plans for those two...

I do have to forewarn you about some more OC's though. Again, I apologize, but they were unavoidable. Bah.

* * *

"S-Sam?" Tucker croaked weakly, his voice small in soundless dark.

The goth girl groaned painfully from somewhere far away. I was on the ground hugging Valarie, trying to remain strong for the girl in my arms by not trembling. Cold relief washed through me when I realized there weren't anymore slamming sounds coming from outside the speeder. A dull, glowing light was coming in from the window though, bathing us all in ocean green shades. A piercing head ache begun to pound in my head, muddling my mind while I tried to understand what had just happened. Did we fly _through _the door? Valarie moaned in pain, and suddenly everything in my murky mind became clear.

"Valarie!" I gasped, forcing myself up. "I need the first aid kit! Tucker!"

"I already-already got it Mrs. F." He smiled deliriously, stumbling towards me and dropping something at my knees.

"Thank you sweetie." I breathed. "Now go check on Sam, make sure she's okay."

"I'm fine." the goth girl grumbled, muttering, "Though I wouldn't mind a few aspirin..."

I looked down at Valarie, her helmet already off. She was conscious, thank god, but disturbingly pale. She turned to look at me with a weak smile, doing something with her shoulders that looked like a shrug, but made her wince.

"Easy Valarie, don't move so much. You've got some nasty claw wounds in your shoulders and arms." I said through a tight throat.

"I'm fine." she rasped, shaking her head.

Valarie stayed strong as I gently wiped the blood away, apply antibiotic cream and gauze where I needed to. A painful looking puncture wound in her thigh needed extra attention. It looked like one of the creatures had tried to grab her with it's claws, but was then ripped off. Valarie hardly said a word as I tightly wrapped every wound, taking slow deep breathes as though she'd done this before.

"There." I forced out, blinking away the moisture in my eyes. She seemed to be handling this better than I was. "That's the best I can do, honey."

"Thanks Mrs. Fenton." Valarie winced, slowly sitting up. Tucker immediately bent down to help her, ignoring the dry glare she sent him.

I watched with a hollow feeling in my chest, eyes following the two teens as they slid up to the bench behind them. Tucker sat the young woman down beside him, arm still around her shoulder. His expression was one of deep concern though, staring down at Valarie as she exhaled in relief. I didn't know what to feel, watching two teens who were scared and injured because of me.

"Guys..." Sam's far away voice cut through the miserable fog settling in my head, pulling me out of my thoughts. I couldn't let myself get distracted now. We were still in the ghost zone, and we still had to get _home_. That's all I had to focus on.

"What happened?" I asked suddenly, remembering the attacking birds and the oncoming door. How had we not crashed? Sam swiftly walked by me, already starting to open the hatch. There was an oddly excited grin on her face.

"In the ghost zone, people are the ghosts. Real world stuff like us and this speeder just flies through things here." She explained in a rush, shoving open the hatch, "Tucker do you need help with Valarie, or...?"

"I'm fine." the young huntress repeated dryly, grudging accepting Tucker's help. I turned to the other girl in our group, still confused about the situation and not liking it.

"Sam, what's going on? Where are we?"

The raven haired teen paused, pining me with sparkling amethyst eyes and a glowing smile.

"We're at Clockwork's tower."

The loft structure was strangely serene. Gentle ticking noises filled the air, but other than that it was quiet. The tower was filled with gears and, naturally, clocks. The ceiling went high, too high to see the top. Colossal gears slowly turned, some of them going through the walls and others attached to them. The décor wasn't the most striking aspect of the lair, though. As we all exited the speeder, the first thing to awe my senses were the massive mirror-like orbs set into a distant wall, numerous smaller mirrors scattered along side it. They were all playing something, like a bunch of televisions, but there was no sound.

We approached with caution, the speeder left open behind us. We slowly followed Sam, Tucker helping a limping Valarie who refused to be left behind. The goth girl was taking the lead, wandering to the mirror-like structures with an air of nervousness. She led us to the largest one, but I couldn't make heads or tails of what I was seeing.

The images were flashing by too quickly. One second I was staring at an unfamiliar city by the ocean, burning with destruction and fire, and the next the image changed to the inside of a mansion, where the shadow of a tall figure was approaching from around a corner. Then it changed again to a snowy setting where abominable snowmen-like creatures were sharpening weapons, and then again to a quiet battle field, where everything was silent and dead. Then an image of my son flashed across the screen. I all but cried out to him, shock, pain, and elation burning through me like fire. Most of all, though, was the longing.

The image lingered all of three seconds, but I could remember every detail even as the screen went on to show some crater in the ground. My baby was standing on a balcony, wind gently moving his hair. He looked older, and a slightly taller, unmistakeable figure stood next to him. Vlad placed his hand possessively on his shoulder, the dead look on my son's face never changing. Then that was it. The image was gone.

"Danny..." My voice broke, the ache in my heart craving to hold him in my arms again.

The other teens were silent, having not missed the image either. For a moment I forgot where we were and why we'd traveled all the way across the ghost zone. All I could remember was the look on my son's face, so lost and filled with such _pain_... Danny is naturally such a happy boy, but that look on his face, that hollow and hopeless stare... The burning desire to tear Vlad limb from limb for what he'd done, not just to Danny, but to my entire family, actually scared me a little bit. But then a larger part of me, the part that was burning with revenge, didn't care. I wanted retribution. Swift, cold and _painful _retribution.

"Madeline Fenton." An aged voice came from behind me, ripping me from my more violent thoughts and causing me to startle. Sam and Tucker gasped, clearly recognizing the voice. We all turned around, coming face to face with an ancient looking, blue ghost cloaked in purple.

"Clockwork." Sam and Tucker whispered, and mixture of awe and fear in their voices.

I stared at the ghost who knew my name, the righteous anger still burning as I sized him up instinctively. He was old, as I expected, but in the middle of his chest was a clock. It ticked faintly like a heartbeat, in time with the ticking of the other clocks all around us. His face was devoid of expression as he met my glare, his eyes pure red. I felt my anger slowly trickle away under that gaze, so disturbingly calm yet _powerful_. I had the sickening sense that he was looking _inside _me, and that he _understood_ my pain. It was incredibly unnerving.

"You're late." was all he said, a corner of his mouth barely twitching into a smirk.

All I could do was watch in subdued awe as he raised a complicated looking staff with a clock on it, pointing it at the mirror screens. They all shut off, the images swallowing themselves into a small white line and disappearing all together. All that was left were various blue-green orbs, silently hanging on the walls behind us. When I turned my gaze back to the ghost, I jumped, seeing a baby version of the old man who had just been floating there.

With his little magic trick I felt my glare return. I had to remember that this being was a ghost, and as such, shouldn't be completely trusted. He _especially _shouldn't be allowed to get under my skin like he already had. Clockwork was still staring at me, raising an eyebrow as though he knew my thoughts at that very moment. Worse, with his next words, I feared that he had.

"I do not expect you to trust me, Madeline, but then, that is not why you are here, is it?"

"Please Clockwork." Sam stepped forward, yearning clinging to her words like the hands she clasped in front of her chest. "You know why we're here...we _need_ your help."

Clockwork stared at her for a long moment, his form shifting yet again into the image of a grown man. There was no glare or calculated look in his eyes though, in fact, there wasn't anything. Clockwork stared at Sam with such an impassive look that I knew the answer before he even said it.

"You seek to alter the timeline. I am sorry, but I cannot rectify what is already fixed."

"But Danny needs you! I thought you were supposed to be his guardian!" She yelled, fists clenched.

"I am, and right now he does not need me."

"What are you talking about?" Tucker spoke up indignantly, not phased as Clockwork became an old man, "Of _course _he needs you! He's locked up with his crazy arch nemesis, who _knows _what's happening to him in there!"

"I know exactly what is happening to Danny." Clockwork said quietly, fiddling with something on his staff. "And, unfortunately...everything is as it should be."

"HOW CAN YOU _SAY _THAT!" I screamed, the furious words tearing themselves from my mouth before I could stop them.

"My son has done _nothing _to deserve what's happened to him! _None _of these children have! Do you know what Vlad's done to our world? Do you even understand the magnitude of his murders? If you have the power to stop all this senseless pain and suffering then you have to help us! If for no one else then at least for the boy you claim to defend! We _need _you!"

My chest was heaving with the passion of my outburst, but Clockwork just stared at me with that damned, impassive expression. I couldn't get anything from this ghost, not help, not a sign, nothing! All he did was stare and change forms!

"My duty, as always, is bound to time itself, not to the fate of your world."

"But our world is tied to this one!" Sam yelled desperately, cutting in before I could begin raving, "If Vlad destroys Earth then the same thing will happen to the Ghost Zone!"

"Vlad Plasmius is no fool. Nothing he does will harm either worlds irreversibly." He replied simply, making me want to pull my hair out.

"I don't understand! You helped last time!" Tucker cried out.

Clockwork moved his stare to him, shifting into his adult form.

"Yes, I did, because I needed to. Perhaps you should consider my refusal to help a good thing rather than bad."

Without another cryptic word, the time ghost turned around, his purple cloak billowing out behind him. Sam, Tucker, Valarie and I all stared after him, matching dumbfounded expressions dragging our jaws to the floor. That was it? After risking our lives and fighting our way through the Ghost Zone...that was it? The mother in me rebelled with fury, stomping after the specter without the smallest chance of being stopped. I wasn't about to let some ghost tell me my son was doomed.

"Now you wait just a darned minute!" I raged, stepping right in front of him before he could float off. He'd already stopped though, clearly expecting me to continue arguing. "I am _not _going to leave my son in that monster's hands just because you say 'everything is as it should be'! Danny belongs at home with his family, and until you give us a way to make that happen, I am not leaving this spot!"

The threat was weak and, frankly, a little pathetic. I somehow knew that any attempt to force this ghost to give us what we wanted would only result in failure, and possibly even entertainment for the specter before me. In the end, all I could really do was shout empty threats and glare with all the wrath I could muster. Unfortunately, I had the sinking suspicion that Clockwork cared about neither.

As expected, he stared at me with that impassive look of his, but then something changed. The corner's of his mouth twitched into the barest of smirks and he looked back at the bewildered expressions of Sam and Tucker, suddenly disappearing on the spot.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Valarie spoke up, her voice echoing in the vast emptiness of the tower.

We didn't have time to wonder long. Before any of us could think of how to deal with the sudden abandonment, Clockwork had returned. He was facing me, his back to the children, holding a battered old thermos in his hands that had clearly seen better days.

"If you are prepared to deal with the consequences," He held out the thermos to me, an undecipherable smirk shadowing his lips. "This might help."

I stared at Clockwork, a bad feeling in my gut that I couldn't explain. He remained patient, calmly watching me with that near-smile as I glanced back to the thermos. There was something about it that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and the more I looked at the scrapes, dents, and suspicious looking red stains on it, the more I didn't want to touch it.

"What is it?" Sam asked, her, Tucker and Valarie all getting closer.

"Something you two should recognize." Clockwork responded, almost sounding amused.

He turned around and the two previously mentioned teens flipped out.

Their eyes reached the size of saucers. Tucker's mouth dropped open in utter horror. Sam gave Clockwork a look of sheer disbelief.

"_What_?" she gasped, the shock rendering her near speechless. "You-you can't be _serious_?"

"What is it?" Valarie asked hurriedly, frowned at the other two teens as they had a boarder line panic attack.

"That's _him_." Tucker mumbled, shaking his head. "Danny's evil, jerky older self..."

"Wait, _what_?" I asked, rounding on Clockwork.

I didn't know too much about this 'Dan Phantom' character, but based on Sam and Tucker's typical reactions to his mere mentioning, I was not inclined to find out. From the very first mentioning of the subject, it became clear to Jack and I that what ever happened with Phantom traumatized the two teens. They struggled to retell the story of the alternate timeline when first talking to us, visibly glossing over what I suspected were the gorier details. Sam and Tucker are incredibly strong kids. This is a fact that's more recently been proven to me on a daily basis. Any creature that could make their faces go so pale and shake them up so badly couldn't be helpful to us.

"I don't understand." I frowned, looking up at Clockwork again. "How on earth would a creature like him help."

"He _wouldn't_." Sam interrupted, hiding her uneasiness by glaring at the thermos. "The only thing Phantom would do is cause even _more _hell. Unlike Plasmius, he isn't bent on world domination. The only thing he cares about is causing as much pain and suffering as possible. If you let him loose he'll slaughter everyone he comes across, _especially _Danny."

Tucker stared at Sam empathetically, and even Valarie was starting to look a little wary. Clockwork remained as indecipherable as ever, still holding out the thermos like it was candy.

"The choice is up to you." he said plainly, devoid of any biases.

However, it didn't take a lot of thought to make a decision. Even if Phantom is as powerful as I'm afraid he is, there's no way to control him, and I am _not _about to let a homicidal savage free when he has a vendetta against my son.

"We're not using him." I decided firmly. "It's not worth the risk."

Clockwork nodded, retracting his arm to stow away the thermos.

"Wait!" Valarie suddenly called, shifting the arm slung over Tucker's shoulder so she was standing on as much of her own weight as she could manage. The two teens were frowning at her, brows creased, but she hardly spared them a glance. Valarie bravely stared up at Clockwork with a hard look in her eyes, implying a suggestion that did not sit well with the rest of us.

"Wouldn't having Phantom level the playing field?"

The time ghost rose an eyebrow.

"In a way, yes."

"Valarie, _no_." Sam turned on her, tone just as hard at the huntress's glare. "I know you don't remember that alternate timeline, but using Phantom is a _terrible _idea. If you think what Vlad's done to the planet is bad, you have no cluewhat Phantom will do."

"Yeah." Tucker added weakly, "You do remember us telling you that he's a mixture of Danny _and _Vlad's ghost halves, right? If we try to 'use' him he'll probably just find a way to use us and then he'll massacre us when he's done!"

"Plus," Sam pitched in again. "How the heck do you think you're gonna control him? What happens after Phantom gets rid of Vlad, assuming he does of course. Then you're just replacing one psycho with another!"

"And-" Tucker started up with more, but Valarie had given up.

"Okay, okay! I get it! No Phantom!" She huffed. "...I just thought releasing Phantom would be a good distraction. Even if Phantom decides to ignore Vlad, you know Vlad won't ignore him. I figured we could let those two freaks do all the work and kill each other while we go in and save Danny. Then we could attack Plasmius and Phantom while their defenses are down and clean up whatever's left."

I was thankful that Sam and Tucker weren't jumping down Valarie's throat anymore, but their matching expressions clearly disagreed with the huntress's plan. They shared a wary glance, returning their attention to Valarie in a final attempt to dispel any hopes of using Phantom.

"There's no guarantee that things would work out like that, Val." Tucker said sadly. "Phantom's too unpredictable and the stakes are too high to take that big of a chance. In the end, it's just not worth it."

The curly haired teen glared balefully at the ground, hearing Tucker but making it clear that she wasn't happy about it. Her eyes followed the thermos as Clockwork returned it to his cloak, but she didn't say anything more on the matter. I noticed Sam watching her closely, keeping her thoughts to herself. It was only when Clockwork began to speak again that I returned to the present, dismissing my own distracting thoughts and focusing on the problem at hand.

"I am truly sorry that I cannot give you what you want." The time specter began, a level of sincerity in his voice that I couldn't help but trust.

Judging by the finality in his tone, we would shortly be making our leave empty handed. In that moment it was hard to keep the overwhelming hopelessness at bay, despite the fact that I was supposed to have prepared myself for this. How was I to come to terms with the fact that the power to save my son was right in front of me, yet I couldn't have it? Again, Clockwork seemed to read my thoughts, continuing his words.

"Changing time is not a simple matter of pressing a few buttons." His gaze seemed to settle on all of us individually, twinkling with something unrecognizable. "The timeline you live is made up of the choices you make, remember that."

He gave us a final, barely detectable smile and turned away, floating toward a blank part of the wall where the arched outline of an implied door was. Sam, Tucker, Valaire...we were all too downcast to really notice, having trouble focusing on anything but the swell of our painful let down. We were stuck in this miserable timeline, and we weren't going to change it with any powerful shortcuts.

"If you turn right upon exiting my tower," Clockwork called back, startling us from our thoughts, "You will see a geometric tunnel. That route might turn out to be a more profitable path home."

With that final cryptic suggestion, the Master of Time disappeared, leaving us in his quiet tower where nothing but the gentle ticking of clocks filled the air. For a long moment we all simply stared at each other, each one dreading to begin the long journey home more than the last. The kids around me looked so downtrodden that it nearly broke my heart. We wanted so badly for all of this to be over...for Danny to be home, safe and sound...

"Come on, kids." I sighed, placing a tender hand on Sam's back. "Let's go home."

Wordlessly, they shuffled behind me. The walk back to the speeder seemed to take too much effort and time, though I suppose in light of our harrowing disappointment, everything was going to seem long and arduous at this point. That bitter thought did nothing to help lift my spirits, but banishing it was easier said than done. I helped Tucker ease Valarie into the speeder, who didn't even complain about all the assistance. I tried not to think about our sudden lack of protection in the zone, pushing away the bitter reflection that maybe depending on one teenage girl for our entire defense was a bad idea to begin with. Not only because of the impracticality, but because of the pressure on Valarie. Unsurprisingly, she got injured, and the only reason she was injured was because I didn't want to turn back, and because I didn't turn back, we were dangerously low on fuel for the return trip. The whole fiasco is one big chain of consequences that boils down to me making poor and selfish decisions that could very well be the death of us all. For all my assertions of want protecting these children, was I _that_ desperate for a chance to save my son?

Sadly, yes.

"I can...still fly on my board." the ever fighting teen spoke up, unsuccessfully trying to hide her wince.

"No, Valarie." I said sternly, not even entertaining the thought. "You're very injured. We still have the ghost shield up over the back end of the ship. We'll be fine."

They could all see through my transparent lie, so I don't even know why I bothered. Mostly it was a pathetic attempt to alleviate even an ounce of the hopelessness dragging their faces down. Every time I looked at them, or even caught a glimpse of my own eyes in a speeder mirror, I thought of Danny standing on that balcony with eyes so dead...

With the usual pops and cracks, the speeder hummed to life again. I took control of the driving this time, mostly as something to do. I welcomed anything that helped get my mind off the present, but glancing at the fuel gage kept me rooted in the dismal reality surrounding us all. With a deep breath I pressed forward, easing the speeder to the large front doors and slipping right through them like a ghost.

Thankfully, those horrid bird monsters were gone. Here the zone was unperturbed and quiet, like still waters of a lake. I had a feeling that this sense of calm serenity would leave the moment we strayed too far from the tower, but I enjoyed it while I could. No matter what, despite all the foolish choices and mistakes I've made to get here, I _had _to get these children home safe.

"...Are we taking Clockwork's advice?" a voice came from the back, having noticed the speeder tilt to the right.

"At this point, Sam, we have nothing to loose." I replied, hoping to whatever god existed that this wouldn't be another poor decision of mine. I was far from trusting Clockwork, but I saw no logical reason for him to lead us into disaster. Then again, the enigmatic ghost is so infuriatingly cryptic that I could have gotten the entirely wrong impression from him. Still, I figured that if he wanted to hurt us, he would have done it during the ample opportunity he had while we were in his tower.

His directions were clear. Already the floating polygon was in sight, green, of course, and occasionally shifting in size. From within the ship, the pentagonal shaped tunnel looked 2D, but looking _inside _the floating polygon was another matter entirely. The entrance never shrank to a size too small for the speeder, which meant we could get a clear look at the constantly changing tunnel structure within. The inside looked like a large geometric esophagus, or perhaps an intestine, with sudden angles and sides sprouting from nothing. Least of all, there was the goo, a whole lot of gravity defying, lime green goo.

"We're suppose to go in that?" Tucker asked, sounding more disgusted than anything else.

"But Tucker, it's geometry. I thought you loved math." Sam muttered, a joke cracking through the tangible misery of the ship.

"Sure, geometry is great, but that right there is a giant dodeca-don't." The tech savvy teen laughed at his own joke, quickly realizing that no one else was laughing with him. "Darn it, not again..." he muttered.

Sam snickered, which in turn caused me to smile slightly, which, though I could tell Valarie was fighting it, influenced the injured huntress to let up on the sour staring. Tucker's joke, which I admittedly found cute, helped alleviate some of the gloom, if only so we could gather enough courage to enter the tunnel before us.

"Well." I sighed, guiding the speeder forward. "Here goes."

Entering the tunnel went off without a hitch. Aside from the heavy goo that slid up the window and employed the heavy duty whippers, nothing of consequence happened. The tunnel continued to shift on its own as we flew deeper, seeming to be unaware of our presence. Perhaps personifying the tunnel we flew through wasn't the best idea for my sanity, but as we went deeper and deeper, I couldn't shake the creeping feeling that this tunnel wasn't an ordinary tunnel. After all, what in the ghost zone ever is ordinary?

It must have been the strange shifting of the walls. Sometimes a convex angle would depress into a concave one, somehow letting loose a wall of goo that happily decorated our speeder. Then the ceiling would shift into hundreds of tiny angles, giving away the illusion of stairs. Everything had a shape, even the tunnel itself. One moment we'd be flying through a giant triangle, the next it'd be a giant square.

"This is so bizarre..." Tucker marveled, scooting closer to the front window.

Sam had made her way to the front as well, though her eyes were less marveled and more wary. Valarie matched her expression from the back of the ship, remaining as silent as Sam and I. Despite the remarkable phenomena surrounding me, I couldn't ease the tension keeping me alert. Getting home couldn't possibly be as easy as flying through a geometrically confused tunnel. There weren't even any signs of a single specter here.

"Why are you avoiding the walls?" Sam asked, her perceptiveness showing again.

"Call it a haunch." I murmured, focused on gently rising the ship as an angle jutted out from the bottom and then lowering it when one came from the ceiling.

Naturally, after that short exchange and roughly a half hour into our route, a dramatic angle came out of no where, immediately hitting the ship and recoiling as though burned. Something..._thumped_ all around us, like a giant disturbed heartbeat. Our breaths ran shallow as the languidly moving tunnel stilled for about two seconds, as though in surprise, and then suddenly exploded with movement.

"What's going-AAAAHHH!" Tucker's shout turned into a scream as something hit us from behind, propelling us forward like a bullet and sending anyone not strapped down flying to the back of the speeder.

"What-OW!" Tucker tried again, but another smack sent us farther, though this one was a badly aimed angle and sent us careening into the ceiling.

The group-me included-let out another unison scream as the tunnel violently shoved us forward again, the walls buzzing and vibrating angrily. We were absolutely flying through the tunnel, getting hit and smacked by angles like a pinball. It wasn't hard to notice the single direction we were going though, even as more smacks sent the ship slamming into walls, ceilings, and eventually forward again. It was almost as though the tunnel were propelling us out, albeit in a violent and catastrophically damaging fashion. Had I not been panicking and watching out for the children behind me, I might have been stressing out over the havoc being dealt to the busted speeder.

"OUCH!"

"Tucker, shut up and grab onto something!" Sam yelled, redoubling her grip when the ship nearly flipped.

Besides Sam and to a certain extent, me, Valarie was the only one really keeping a cool head in all of this. Like a wet cat, she was clinging to the seat-belts she'd managed to tie over her chest, further gracing the jostled speeder with a black looked that would have been funny had I not been terrified for our lives.

"Is, it, over, yet!" Tucker screamed, each word punctuated with a slam against the tunnel.

"Just hold on!" I yelled over the clamorous buzzing, praying that this tunnel wasn't the home of mutated ghost-wasp species.

The walls around us gave another violent shake, for some reason reminding me of an offended bird ruffling it's feathers. The vibrating grew stronger, angrier. I twisted around in my chair, clinging to the seat as we received another kick in the tail. Up ahead a dot of green contrasted with the darker hues of the tunnel, twinkling like an exit and going in and out of sight as the tunnel writhed. With another shove into a wall I quickly decided that green dot was good enough for me, especially since it was rapidly getting bigger.

"I see the exit!" I screamed back, bracing myself as we hit the ceiling.

The glass above me cracked dangerously, sending a spike of fear into my chest. At this rate I was hoping we'd make it to the exit intact, much less alive. The speeder was slammed forward again, hundreds of alarms and lights blinking on the control panel. I grit my teeth, digging my nails into the seat while Tucker repeatedly yelled, "Make it stop I'm gonna throw up!"

With that last lovely thought, the tunnel seemed to wind itself up for an almighty smack.

"Brace yourselves!" I cried

Not a moment later a powerful shove collided with the back of the speeder, sending us soaring out of the tunnel. The Ghost Zone was suddenly all around us, wide, open, and not confined to a small writhing passage. Our relief was short lived however, as the next moment we were all screaming. Everything in the speeder failed and shut down at the peak of our assent, leaving us to free fall and hope to god we didn't die.

In the midst of my heart-stopping, near blinding panic, I realized that we were actually about to land rather than fall into the abyss below. Though by land I mean crash, and not without hitting an undetermined about of trees first. Hard trunks and branches slammed into the speeder as we crashed into the dense foliage, as gentle as the thrashing tunnel had been. In retrospect, it was probably the dense vegetation that saved our lives by breaking the fall. The ship nose dived for a moment but then caught itself on a rock, ramping us into the air before resuming our crash. Finally, after more heart attacks than I care to count, and speeder finally plowed into the ground in a stupendous wreck that sent all but Valarie to the floor.

"...ow."

There wasn't anymore screaming now that the ship was nice and stationary. It took me a moment to realize where I was at, who was on top of me, an whether we were all still alive. Someone groaned from above, their dead weight keeping my bruised and battered body pinned.

"Sam, sweetie," I gasped, clutching my aching head, "Could you please get off me?"

She groaned in response, sliding away until she rolled herself off and to the floor.

"I am never...trusting Clockwork...again." She winced, not moving.

"Are you okay? Is anything broken?" I asked, forcing myself to my knees. "What about Tucker? Valarie? Are you guys okay?"

My bleary eye sight slowly cleared, adjusting to the dim light in the speeder. Valarie looked a little worse for wear, but mostly okay, thankfully still strapped to her seat. Tucker, on the other hand, was still face down on the floor.

"Tucker?" I repeated, the beginnings of panic lacing my tone and adrenaline rushing in.

"M' okay Mrs. F." He called out, twitching a few fingers. "Just remembering why I hate the ghost zone."

"Nnnngh, you mean you're just _now _remembering?" Sam scathed, forcing herself to her knees and stretching her no doubt bruised back.

Tucker didn't reply, beginning the strenuous job of picking himself up off the floor. Once I got to my feet and shook away the dizziness, I ambled over to Valarie and helped her untie the belts. Sam was the second to make it to standing level, eventually followed by a still complaining Tucker.

"Worst. Roller-coaster ride. Ever."

Sam responded with something, but now that I was sure everyone was okay, a new kind of panic was starting to settle in. The ship was damaged beyond repair, not even the emergency systems responding. A quick look at my surroundings let me know that we weren't exactly in the safest of spots either. Trees surrounded us, made up of dull, unnaturally colors like purple and red. There was no telling what lied beyond the dense foliage, nor if our meager arsenal would stand a chance against them. Above was the normal green of the ghost zone, purple doors dotting the 'sky'. It didn't take a genius to understand the kind of serious predicament we were in, even if it _was _amazing that we were all still alive.

"How's it look?" Valarie called, getting the attention of the ship's crew.

I wasn't quite sure how to respond. Mostly because it was still sinking in. How was I going to explain that I'd managed to get us stranded in an unfamiliar part of the Ghost Zone? I don't even think _I _realized all the serious repercussions. This...this disaster just couldn't be happening...

"Not good." I finally managed to force out.

I could feel their eyes on me, worried, scared, nervous. They were smart enough to understand what 'not good' meant. Unfortunately, no matter how much I wanted to, there wasn't a single thing I could do to fix this situation. I was utterly powerless here, stranded in a dead zone without any tools, any means of calling for help...there wasn't even any food on the ship.

It suddenly hit me that all this time I'd been wondering if the teenagers knew what they were getting into, but in reality, _I _was the one who didn't know what I was getting into.

"Something just moved between those trees." Tucker's alarmed voice cut through my miserable pity party, senses thrown back into high alert.

Wordlessly, I whipped out the gun on my belt and let it charge. He was pointing to the bush directly in front of us, ten feet from where we'd crashed. They rustled again, the sound clearly audible through the shattered dome window that used to take up the front of the ship. Whatever was there clearly didn't care about stealth. Sam and Tucker came up beside me, guns blazing. A dull whine let us know that even Valarie was armed and ready.

"Bring it on you stupid ghosts." she muttered angrily, lining up her sights.

We all waited on pins and needles, the rustling getting closer and closer. There was a dark shadow between the trees, strangely human shaped and rather large around the waist-

"Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness!"

"_Mister Lancer!_"

We stared, completely and utterly shell shocked, as the pot-bellied high school teacher himself emerged from the shadows. He was clad in nothing but a crudely made loin cloth, much to the distaste of our eye sight. There were even streaks of mud on his face and arms, as though he'd become some kind of wild man. Although, judging by the sharpened spear in his hands and the fuzzy beard, that comparison probably wasn't too far from the truth.

"Mister-Mister Lanc-What are you _doing _here?" Tucker gapped, dropping his gun and throughly lost for words.

"Heavens if I know!" The middle aged educator raved, looking beyond elated at the sight of us. "There I was in Amity Park, minding my own business, trying not to get killed by those _mobs_, when out of nowhere a giant green circle appeared right in front of me! In my shock, I stumbled over someone's grossly misplaced house lamp and fell right in! Imagine my surprise when I ended up here!"

"You...You've been in the ghost zone ever since the ghouls attacked?" I stared at him in full-out astonishment.

"Of course I have! Where else would I be? _Rome_?"

"Sir, that was over _three weeks ago_!" Sam gasped.

"Hm." Mr. Lancer scratched his beard thoughtfully. "Really? I thought it'd been longer than that..."

I honestly didn't know what to say at this point. Never in a million years did I ever expect to run into Mister Lancer in the middle of the ghost zone. My younger companions were clearly thinking along the same lines, mouths still open and eyes twitching in disbelief. If I wasn't so shocked I'd probably be laughing at the hilarity of it all.

"Wait-" I pressed my fingers to my temple, that head ache still pounding. "Did you just say a portal appeared right in front of you? Out of nowhere?"

"If that's what the giant glowing green circle things was, then yes." he replied, sounding oddly indignant.

His words were very troubling though. Natural portals are rare enough as it is, but to have one randomly appear in a congested area? And in the middle of mass hysteria no less! The only thing I could think of to cause such a phenomena were the ghouls. It's not unheard of for portals to be more frequent in areas with a heavy ghost population, even if that population is only present for a short time. I certainly hoped that was the case. Otherwise, random portals in the human world meant the veil between our world and the ghost zone was growing thin, and if that was the case...well this war just got a lot more dangerous.

Clockwork was right when he said that Vlad is no fool. The fruitloop _must _be behind the thinning veil, if that was the case. The only thing missing in that theory, though, is _why_?

"Oh! Where are my manners!" Mr. Lancer suddenly smacked his forehead, looking a little deranged. "I'm guessing you all tripped and fell into this ghost world too? Not to worry, not to worry. I found a friend whose been keeping me company. Well...keeping me _alive _actually. He's a little hard to understand though...doesn't speak a lot of English."

Heavy footsteps were suddenly alarmingly audible, sounding like a massive dog. We all stared into the trees with obvious trepidation, though by the suspicious expressions on Sam and Tucker's faces and their lack of gun pointing, I had a feeling that they already knew who-or _what_-was coming. I, however, did _not _know what was coming, which explains my shout of surprise when a giant, black wolf walking on two legs emerged from the trees. He had his claws out and his teeth bared, wearing a ripped green outfit that had clearly seen better days. The only reason I didn't start to shoot was because Lancer looked at total ease with this beast towering over him, and Sam and Tucker dropped their guns to run at him with open arms.

"Miaj amikoj!" the monster yelled, and it was then that I realized it was _smiling_.

"Wulf!" Sam and Tucker cried joyously, diving into the hairy black arms and immediately hugging the creature.

I just stared in disbelief, officially done with the general weirdness of the day. At this point I really shouldn't even be surprised anymore.

"You know this creature?" I stared, feeling one of my eyes twitch. Not a good sign.

"Yeah, this is Wulf!" Tucker smiled like this explained everything, scratching the monster behind an ear and laughing when it-_he_-started thumping his foot on the ground.

"Danny freed him from the ghost prison. The Warden, Walker, is completely crazy and had this poor guy locked up just so he could use...use his..." Sam trailed off, face going blank and then lighting up like the north star.

"_Wulf can make portals_!" she suddenly bellowed, literally jumping up and down. Tucker's face lit up like her's, jumping around like an excited monkey too.

"We're _saved_!" he cried out, throwing his hands in the air while the beast above them just watched with a clueless smile.

Lancer, Valarie, and I wore similar expressions, only we weren't smiling. I didn't understand why Sam and Tucker were acting like they had a bunch of ants in their pants, jumping and smiling and screaming for joy. What did Sam say? This ghost can make _portals_? I couldn't believe it, unable to comprehend the rapid change of events. I just couldn't get my hopes up only to be dashed again.

"Sam!" I yelled sternly. "Tucker! Calm down, what's going on? What do you mean 'we're saved?'"

"Wulf!" Sam grinned, gesturing to the ghost like he was Jesus. "He has the ability to claw his way into the human world! Don't you guys understand? We can go _home_!"

"Vi povas okupas ni hejmo?" Tucker immediately chattered away to the giant ghost.

"Jes! Mi povas okupi vi hejmo aktuale!" Wulf responded excitedly with a deep, raspy voice, his tail wagging back and forth.

"He says he can take us home right now!" Tucker practically squealed, grinning from ear to ear.

I still had yet to catch up with this abrupt change of events. Weren't we lost and potentially dead about ten minutes ago?

"Wait, you mean this ghost has had the power to take me home all along?" Lancer yelled crossly, rounding on Wulf. "Why in Pride and Prejudice's name didn't you say anything?"

"Vi neniam demandis." He shrugged.

Sam and Tucker snickered, turning to look at Valarie and I as they waited for us to catch up.

"You mean..." the huntress's voice came up from the back, relief shaking her tone. "We're _not _stranded in the ghost zone?"

The two teens shook their heads.

"Even better, Wulf will probably help us get to the other ghosts willing to fight Vlad. With him at our side we won't need the speeder anymore! This is _perfect_!"

I had to admit, with every word coming from Sam's lips, this _was _perfect. Was this what Clockwork meant when he said coming this way would be profitable? So was he actually helping us all along?

"Kie estas la malgranda fantoma?" Wulf asked innocently, placing gentle hands on the two teens shoulders and smiling down at them.

But the bright smiles slid off Sam and Tucker's faces like a pair of dead fish, shoulders sagging low. I wasn't sure what the ghost had asked, but judging by their matching despondent expressions, it probably had something to do with Danny. Wulf seemed to sense that there was nothing good to be heard, his tail falling limp and ears lowering.

"Li estis kaptita de Plasmius." Tucker responded quietly. He looked up at Wulf, pain still present in his eyes but burning alongside a fighting fire too. "Vi estos asisto nin savi lin?

"Kompreneble! Mi dev repagi mian ŝuldon grandan amikon!" the great ghost replied valiantly, suddenly standing to his true, formidable height.

The smiles returned to Sam and Tucker as Wulf walked to a clear space, his claws promptly glowing a vibrant green. I gasped when he literally ripped into the veil between our worlds, opening a portal large enough to display the alarmed faces of the Resistance within.

"Wulf's gonna help." Tucker explained needlessly, his smile reaching his ears again.

I blinked at the open portal, where Wulf was beckoning me an enlivened gleam in his stark green eyes. Tucker rushed in to help Valarie, who was looking at the portal like Christmas had come early. In the end, there wasn't much I could do but accept this sudden change of events, not that it was very hard to do. Lancer gleefully jumped through the portal first, yelling something about escaping savagery. Tucker helped Valarie limp through, already talking to her about the multitude of ghosts we were going to try recruiting. Sam lingered behind to wait for me, smiling empathetically as I stared at the open portal that would bring me home and at the ghost who was making this happen.

"Like you said Mrs. Fenton." Sam shrugged. "The unpredictable nature of the ghost zone."

A relenting smile finally made its way to my face at her words, a million different thanks building up in my head for her, the ghost beside me, and my son who had a heart big enough to free this specter. It seemed, despite the immense let down from Clockwork, that things might actually turn out okay after all.

* * *

The following is the Esperanto translations in the order that they were spoken:

-My friends!

-Can you take us home?

-Yes! I can take you home right now!

-You never asked.

-Where is the little phantom?

-He was captured by Plasmius. Will you help us save him?

-Of course! I must repay my debt to a great friend!

Booyah.


	12. Chapter 12

Hi guys. :B

The next chapter will be in Danny's PoV, promise. As for now...OC's abound. O_O

Enjoy?

* * *

He was sitting at the dining room table, staring at his food listlessly again. I couldn't help but twist my fingers together while I watched him, a nervous habit. From my vantage point behind the swinging kitchen doors, I had no trouble witnessing the despair etched so deeply into his young features. The poor child couldn't have been more than sixteen, and that...that _foul _man...

"Elysia, you're only hurting yourself when you watch him like that."

I jumped, spinning around to meet Opal's disapproving frown. A mixing spoon was still in the older woman's hand, dripping batter onto her wide hips and marring the less than pristine cook's uniform she was wearing. Shame weighed my head down, inching away from the small window in the door and following my concerned friend back into the kitchen. The anguish on young Master Daniel's face never left my mind, though. It never does.

"Found her!" Opal announced to the rest of the kitchen crew.

They all looked up and sighed in relief at the sight of my safe and sound self, smiles breaking out on their features.

"Thank heavens!" A skinnier woman around Opal's age breathed, already beginning preparations for lunch. "She was staring at that boy again, wasn't she?"

"Of course." Opal rolled her eyes, brushing past my sheepish haunch and returning to her cooking duties.

Mabel, the skinnier woman, shook her head but wasn't quite able to erase the empathy from her own lined features. Opal took her spot next to her and silently resumed cutting the celery. My gaze wandered back to the direction where Master Daniel was still sitting, and I could tell by Opal's increasingly violent vegetable cuts that she didn't approve.

"You need to be careful, Elysia." She finally warned, not taking her eyes off the celery. "You know that boy is none of our concern."

"I know..." I sighed, brushing a curl of dirty blonde hair behind my ear. Opal's word didn't do much but go in one ear and out the other, though. I already knew the dangers that could come from worrying about the teen, but I just couldn't help it. Every time I see him walking alone in the hallways with that horribly vacant expression, something inside me just screams to help. If I wasn't so terribly scared I would, but every time I work up the nerve, _he _always appears. Vlad Masters never fails to emerge from the shadows and place a possessive hand on the poor boy's shoulder, leading him away from my crying heart and deeper into the darkening halls.

"Aw, be nice Opal. It isn't bad to have a big heart." Tyler, the youngest cook and thus naturally the dishwasher, winked at me. He was in his early twenties, around my age. I passed him a small smile, but Opal continued on before I could thank him, her tone gruff.

"In this place it is. Heck, in this _world _it is. A heart like her's ain't gonna bring nuthin but trouble."

"You sound like Regina." Tyler rolled his eyes, scrubbing at a plate.

"Oh please, I'm not _that _heartless."

"Regina isn't heartless." I spoke up, defending the admittedly stern head maid, "She just worries a lot about us girls."

Opal responded with incoherent mumblings, finally snapping at no one in particular.

"Where's Charlie? He's the head chief, he should be worrying about this kind of stuff."

A warm-if not slightly exasperated-voice spoke up at her call.

"I'm right here ladies...and Tyler."

An older man, somewhere in his late fifties, emerged from the back room in the kitchen. He had a gentle smile that went perfectly with his white hair and mustache, giving away his kinder nature. It was hard to believe that someone as patient and understanding as him could live right under the quintessence of evil itself, but he was the rock that held the kitchen staff together in these dark times. Charlie was like the grandparent to our odd collection of coworkers, and for more reasons than his age.

I met his warm amber eyes with my own hazel hues, hues that traveled down and noticed the small pastry in his hands.

"Is Mr. Master's out there?" he whispered quietly, a mischievous grin sneaking on his face.

I shook my head, a smile bubbling at the corners of my mouth. He ambled forward and placed the small desert in my hands, winking. I could always depend on Charlie to back me up.

"Give this to the boy, but be quick."

"Thanks Charlie!" my smile spread into a grin, limbs immediately scampering away. Not even Opal's disapproving scoff could dampen my spirits as I made my way to the swinging doors, carefully looking out the window for signs of trouble. A quick glance back at Charlie helped steel my quaking nerves, and at his encouraging wave, I quietly slipped into the lonely dining room.

The smothering silence of the room nearly wiped away the budding happiness in my chest. A shiver snaked down my spine from the chilling cold of loneliness that permeated the air. This is how most the of castle rooms felt though, especially ones with Masters Daniel or Vlad in it. I forced myself to persevere, pushing away the blanket of misery and quietly walking up to the unmoving teen.

The young boy had eaten barely a bite of his breakfast, staring down at the cold pancakes with a faraway look in his eyes. I suddenly felt horribly awkward, wondering if he would even want to talk to me. He didn't look very responsive, but then, he never does.

"Um...e-excuse me?" I spoke up, hoping I didn't sound as silly as I felt.

For one disappointing moment I was sure he wouldn't respond. But then he moved, mechanically turning to look at me with those aged blue eyes. My budding smile faltered at the look on his face, words catching in my throat as I finally got a closer look at the boy I've been watching. He looked utterly exhausted, deep bags hanging under shadowed eyes. The worn out look didn't stop at his face, trickling down to slumped shoulders and thin frame. The poor child looked practically dead on his feet, and not just in the physical sense.

"Um..." he wasn't saying anything, staring at me with a slightly confused expression.

"I just...wanted to give you this." I squeaked, sliding the small pastry on the table. He slowly turned to look at it, staring at the desert as though not understanding what it was. I suddenly felt invasive when he turned his gaze back to me, still not saying anything.

"...Well...that's all, good day sir!"

I spun around to flee back to the kitchen, no doubt where Opal and Tyler would make fun of me, but a small voice brought me to a halt.

"Thanks." he said quietly, his words coming out hoarse.

I stopped and looked back at him, blinking in surprise at the smile he was bravely attempting to put on. It hurt to see him try so hard for someone like me though, someone he doesn't even know. So I just shrugged and gave him a smile of my own.

"It's no trouble."

Without a doubt, I felt significantly happier when I returned to the kitchen, enjoying the pat Mabel placed on my back and dodging the water Tyler tried to fling on me. Ten minutes later the teenager was gone and the pastry was still there, only one bite taken out of it. Even this couldn't dampen my spirits though, because that one bite meant he at least tried to enjoy the desert, and if he was still looking for happiness then there was still hope.

"Hey Elysia, you might wanna start hunting down Regina. It's past eight thirty." Tyler called from over his shoulder, nodding towards a clock on the wall.

"Oh right, thanks Tyler!" I jumped from my spot on the counter, hastily calling out a good bye to my kitchen friends and rushing out the back door to find the head maid.

As usual, the mansion was utterly silent. Dark shadows clung to even the smallest cracks, seeming to swallow up whatever meager light tried to permeate the dark recesses. I padded along, my light footsteps muted in the expensive carpet. I didn't even have to think about where I was going anymore, having worked for Mr. Masters for so long. I'd come under his employ before he moved here to Amity Park, and then decided to stay because the pay was so good. Not to mention the fact that I'd wanted to get out of that cheese-renowned state since I was a little girl. But now...my friends and family are still back home in Wisconsin...I'd give anything to see their smiling faces again...

The frown on my face deepened at the thought of them, my boisterous father, gentle mother, and the impish little brother I hadn't seen in so long. He...he's probably the same age as Master Daniel by now... Maybe that's why I've become so attached to the imprisoned boy.

I glanced into every room I passed, looking for a fellow maid or even better, Regina. She's in charge of all us maids here, delegating out chores and making sure we stay far out of Mister Master's war path. Most of the cleaning staff tries to stay out of _her _war path too, but I don't mind. I understand why she's so hard on us girls. It'd kill her if any of us got hurt.

I finally stumbled across her in a spare sitting room. She was talking to a woman a few years older than I, hands on her hips and face set into the usual scowl. I recognized the woman she spoke to as a fellow maid, but didn't know her name. Judging by the resigned look on her face, it was just another day trying to survive. It's the expression most servants wear in this house though, even me. We all have families, friends...those of us who have remained under Mister Master's employ since the take over are just the ones too afraid to leave. Or we're the ones who have nothing to go back to.

"Make sure you polish that banister raw. I wanna see my face in it come time for inspection, understand?"

"Yes, Miss Regina." the woman replied apathetically, turning on her heels and exiting the room. I felt her brush against me as she left, but she didn't turn her head and mutter an apology, already wrapped up in her own thoughts.

"Elysia!" Regina barked. "You're nearly late, get in here."

"Sorry Miss Regina." I stammered, "I was-"

"In the kitchens again, _I'm sure_. You don't have time to dilly-dally all day with the cooks, there's a mansion that needs attention. Now I'm putting you on laundry duty-"

"Laundry duty? Oh _please _Miss Regina, I _hate _laundry duty!"

"Don't we all. No complaining, just get it done. I want clean linens in all the closest by noon, and make sure you attend to Mister Master's floor first. God forbid that man not have clean sheets..."

A look of repugnance flashed across her face for a moment, but it was gone a moment latter. A suddenly severe look wrinkled her face as she looked at me right in the eye.

"And _don't _talk to that boy, am I clear?"

"Yes Ma'am." I muttered, looking at the floor.

Regina had taken care of the linens during the first week Master Daniel was here. She wouldn't let anyone else go into the Master's room, and she never spoke a word of what she saw in there. The rest of us cleaning staff aren't stupid though. We know exactly what happens in that room during the night...

"Elysia..." Regina interrupted my thoughts with a warning tone.

I startled, unclenching the hands I didn't even realize had been wrapped into fists. The older woman was borderline glaring at me, no doubt knowing exactly what I was thinking about.

"Yes Miss Regina?" I replied hesitantly.

"You have a job to do. Remember your place here."

"...Yes Miss Regina." I muttered back, trying to keep my tone from sounding too resentful.

Without another word I spun around and left, feet carrying me along the well known path to the laundry room. Angry bees were buzzing around in my head again, whipping up a fury that I couldn't do anything about. Every day it's the same thing here. I go about my business as a maid, pretending horrific things aren't happening all around me because it's not my _place _to worry about it. It's not my _job _to help the teenager whose screams fill these halls on a weekly basis. I'm supposed to just suck it up, pretend it's not happening, and dust vases all day long. It's complete and utter _nonsense_.

I passed a few other maids and servants along the halls, but not very many. Though a fair amount of us had decided to stay after the take over, our numbers are nothing like they used to be. All of the employees who lived outside the servants quarters didn't show up to work that Monday so far ago, and half the ones who do live in the quarters high-tailed it as soon as that wall surrounding the city started going up. As for the rest of us-and ironically enough-this mansion is nothing more than a safe place. Petty things like pay checks and vacation days are long a thing of the past. To keep our noses down and continue doing our duties as normal, we get paid with food, shelter, and survival. Most think it's a fair deal, and can somehow ignore the horrors around them. Unfortunately, as much as I want to be, I just can't.

The laundry room was situated in the basement of the mansion, but I'd heard rumors that it wasn't the lowest level of the house. After getting over the shock of our employer being an evil, power-hungry, half-ghost monster, we servants started seeing signs that had long been overlooked as simple eccentricity. After all, it never stuck us as strange that a billionaire would have locked, key-coded doors, and for those of us who worked at the castle in Wisconsin, tales of haunted rooms were entertainment for the newer employees. Even after relocating to Amity Park, when fishy stories of ghost sighting in the halls continued, we simply laughed it off and said the ghouls had followed Mr. Masters here. We never realized how right we actually were.

A couple maids were already busily working by the time I got to the laundry room. One would think that a mansion with only two occupants wouldn't produce much laundry, but most people forget to take into account the numerous unused bedrooms. Whether a soul touches those bed sheets or not, the unused rooms must be changed weekly for cleanliness. Then there are the curtains that need washing, rugs, expensive quilts...a whole slew of items that are never used, barely seen, and only take up time with their maintenance.

And then there's the small trolley of clothing and sheets that actually _need _washing, naturally left for me because I was late getting down here. No one wanted to take care of that pile, so whoever lagged behind often got stuck with it. I wrinkled my nose, carting over a spare basket with the word 'incinerator' labeled across it. Mister Master's had demanded that any clothing or sheets marred with blood or other mysterious stains be burned. It took a half hour of repressing my gag reflex and swallowing my fury to pick through the mess, extricating the incriminating materials and burning the evidence. After that, it was all auto pilot. I could let my mind stew and brood as I hand washed the more expensive linens, hanging them to dry and then folding the clothes already finished. I basically continued to do what I've always done, cleaning, folding, and putting things away.

I always thought if a person managed to take over the world, my life as I know it would come to an end. Why or how was never contemplated, I just figured I'd no longer do what I've always done if something so incredible happened. It turns out I'd been wrong. Even with the world burning away outside these walls, I'm still cleaning sheets and dusting vases like it's just another day. Does this make me one of the lucky ones? Though the fate of my family and friends continues to remain unknown, I at least have food and shelter waiting for me every day. I even have the freedom to leave, if I want. So am I lucky...or am I just a coward?

The boy who lives here now...Danny...He's a hero. Everyone knows he's the ghost boy who spent his nights protecting the town from evil specters like my employer. Even with the world turned upside down, maids will always gossip, and as such we know how Mister Masters is attempting to poison the boy. Why else would he be here? I'm not the only one who notices the possessive hand constantly placed on the boy's shoulder, or the way that despicable man whispers corruption into his ears. But...but what can we do? What can _I _do? I'm just an insignificant maid...

"Here Elysia, these go to the third floor as well." A friend of mine said breathlessly, dropping a folded pile of shirts and pants next to my stack of sheets. It didn't take a genius to know that these clothes belonged to our residencies.

"But Miss Regina only told me to take care of...linens..." I quickly whipped my head around to correct my friend, words coming out in a rush and then trailing off when I saw she was already walking away. Typical. As I said before, _no one _likes going near the Master bedroom, and usually whoever gets stuck with third floor linen closets gets stuck with our occupants clothing closets as well. Usually I'm pretty good at getting out of it though...

With a relenting sigh I pushed away my own reluctance on the matter and did my job. It's not like anyone would be in the room anyways. I'd be in and out in a flash, no big deal. Then I could return to the safety of the linen closets and get back to dodging any other work set to me.

The sheets and clothing were cleaned, ironed, and folded within the hour. I loaded them up into the trolley, grumbling a bit as I wheeled the load out into the halls and down to the servants elevator. The lifting machine was expertly set into the walls, so you could barely even tell it was there. Without much thought I pressed the button to open the sliding doors, squeezing in with the large cart and heading up to the third floor.

It was utterly silent when the elevator doors open. At least the basement had the distant sounds of vibrating washing machines and gossiping maids, and the elevator has it's horrible jazz music. Here, though, it was like a blanket muffled anything that made sound. As I walked down the empty halls, ticking clocks would come into hearing distance and then disappear, swallowed up by the stifling silence of the mansion like it was some kind of tangible beast. There wasn't much on this floor except bedrooms and sitting parlors. I started at the end of the hall and made my way down, replacing old sheets with new, putting decorative quilts back in their place, and hanging clean tapestries.

The room I most dreaded was situated around the middle of the floor, and as I went about my duties I kept my ears peeled for the slightest hint of movement. We cleaning staff knew to stay out of Mister Masters' way, so we had the floors he and the boy most frequented memorized. The first floor was one of the more dangerous areas, but as we all had to walk along it at some point, coming across the half-ghost pair was inevitable. Regina constantly told us that if Mister Masters or even Master Daniel came our way, we were to step back against the wall, bow our heads, and not say a word until they passed. It was cowardly, and I _hated _it, but...I did it every time.

The second floor was typically where Master Daniel could be seen until lunch time. His tutoring sessions were held in the farthest room down the hall, so no one could hear his ghost teacher screaming obscenities whenever Daniel did something wrong. Despite my jumpiness as I put sheets in closets, the third floor was actually pretty safe until around late evening. But after darkness fell, Miss Regina didn't let _anybody _come to this floor. It was the forth floor that was most feared during the day hours. Mister Masters had his study up there, and at any given time he could leave the room he shut himself in to do whatever he pleased. My fellow servants and I tried our best to avoid that floor in the mornings and evenings.

In all reality, though, our attempt to pin down the more dangerous floors and times was completely pointless. Sure, we could all pick up the patterns that those two followed, such as Master Daniel's scheduled use of the floors and the paths Mister Masters most followed, but the two were still half-ghost. Without warning our employer would often fly through walls or ceilings, opting for unique short cuts instead of stairs. Strangely, I've never seen Master Daniel do that, but I expect it has something to do with that wretched collar he's forced to wear. Then there are the times Mister Masters would drag Daniel into any given room and fill halls with his screams. We all scattered when that happened, pretending we didn't know what he was doing to the tortured teen. Luckily, those sudden and violent attacks on the boy have been happening less and less as of late. I liked to think Mister Masters is starting to grow a heart, but I know that can't be true.

Either way, all attempts to avoid the half-ghosts often proved futile, which is why I was so on edge despite the fact that Mister Masters should be up in his study right now and Master Daniel was below in tutoring. You never know when the older of the two could be haunting the halls, or even the younger one. After all, everyone knew that where ever Master Daniel was...Mister Masters was never far behind.

I couldn't avoid that bedroom forever. As much as I tried to take my time with the previous rooms, I was only putting off the inevitable. Too soon I was standing in front of the heavy oak door, it's tall height dwarfing my quivering figure. I knocked timidly as was protocol before entering any closed door, praying that no one would answer.

"H-hello? House cleaning?" I squeaked, feeling pathetic but too scared to really care.

Not a sound was heard from beyond the thick door, but I wasn't sure if that was because the room beyond was empty or because I just couldn't hear anything. I stood outside for a good five minutes, a fair amount of embarrassment trickling down my spine as I waited pointlessly. It was shameful how cowardly I could be sometimes, and I especially hated it here where I might be able to help people who needed it if I wasn't such a chicken...but...but I could never break free of the limb locking fear that kept me frozen and useless whenever it came. I just couldn't be brave.

Eventually, however, there came a point where standing out in the hallway like I was became flat out stupid. I knocked a few more times, waited some more, and after a while I could no longer pretend I was waiting for an answer. I had a job to do, and standing out here wasn't going to get it done.

The door didn't creak when I latched a trembling hand on the knob and turned it. It opened smoothly, and wasn't nearly as heavy as I'd been expecting. My heart was hammering against my chest as I peaked in, terrified that I'd see Mister Masters at the desk or hear something vile going on in the private bath. But the room was empty. I lightly pushed the door open wider, looking around the quiet and vacant bedroom with a feeling of thick relief and embarrassment. Figures I'd spend nearly ten minutes quaking in fear of an empty bedroom.

I scowled at myself and huffed irritably, yanking the trolley in and proceeding to put away the clothing. The bed was already clean and made; Miss Regina sure to do that herself. All I had to take care of was hanging up the fresh clothes and towels, muttering angrily to myself about my own cowardice.

How does Master Daniel do it? How did he remain brave in the face of terrifying ghosts when he was free to protect Amity Park? How can he look Mister Masters in the eyes and glare back just as furiously as the powerful man glares at him? More than once I'd seen the two get into a fight, and each time the teen yelled right back at him, even getting in his face. Mister Masters always won these fights, of course...yet still, the young boy persevered. I'd even caught glimpses of him glaring murderously at the older man during their calmer moments, when Mister Masters would somehow pretend there wasn't something completely wrong with everything going on around him and he would hug the boy like he loved him.

Even now when Master Daniel can be found cracking under the strain of his situation, he never lets Vlad see it. He's always fighting, always determined to escape or survive or _something. _He's the bravest person I know, and he's barely sixteen.

Despite all the horrors going on nowadays, despite all the death and fear and pain I see on a daily basis, what scares me the most is the thought of Master Daniel losing that fighting spirit. I don't think he realizes it, but even now he's still the only hope we have left. As long as he keeps fighting, we all can keep fighting. As long as he remains brave, I can find it in myself to try and be brave. Is that selfish? To put so much on a young boy's shoulders? I wish I didn't depend so much on his spirit-for his sake, not mine-but I couldn't help it. Whether he wanted to or not, Danny Phantom inspired people in dark times like these.

Thinking about him and his bravery was the only way I could able to steel myself against anymore irrational fear and finish putting the clothes away in the devil's nest. It didn't take long, maybe ten minutes at the most. And really, this personal victory of mine was pathetic compared to what he fights against, but still, it was something. Maybe one day I'd be brave enough to walk with him to his tutoring session, or even spend longer than thirty seconds talking to him when Mister Master's was absent from his side. Lord knows that child needs it, and after everything he's done for us...he deserves it.

I left the master bedroom with a deep scowl still planted on my face. I was angry, but at no one other than myself. Every day I'm always left with too much time to think, and every day I think about the same thing. Miss Regina told me if I wasn't careful, my too much thinking would get me killed. Yet, like I said before, I can't pretend everything is okay when it really _really_ isn't. Now all I needed was to be brave like Danny.

The rest of my day passed with the same dragging monotony. I could go on about it, but it'd only further depress me. I did manage to sneak back into the kitchens for lunch and dinner, though. The staff there had to be my favorite out of the whole mansion, and I loved listening to them all bicker and joke with each other. The kitchen was also the best place to sneak a glance at Master Daniel, even if that creep of a man was lurking beside him. Today I watched as the two dined in relative silence. Mister Masters kept trying to initiate conversation, but the young boy would have none of it and just glared at his food. Tyler suspected it's because they were fighting about something, but they're always fighting about something.

They'd left in their usual moods, the younger with a bitter frown and the older a strangely calm smile. It's odd and unnatural, but Mister Masters can often be found smiling calmly while dragging his young charge around. It's like he's unaffected by Master Daniel's foul mood. But then, there are times when the two can be having a full out screaming match and the older man looks like he could literally kill the boy. Indeed, a few times we've caught him strike the child, but then he'll just rationalize his attack and go back to acting like he cares about him. We all have our own theories about Mister Masters and his strangeness, but most just think he's just crazy. Most, however, don't think about the traumatizing effect his 'strangeness' is having on the teen locked in his clutches, but I do. If that poor boy isn't glaring at something, or staring off vacantly, then his features are warped into an anguished look of pure turmoil. It doesn't take a genius to know that, under his shield of anger and hate, Master Daniel is a wreck.

"I _really _don't understand why I always have to do dishes." Tyler grumbled, scrubbing a pot caked with food.

"Sorry sweetheart." Opal smirked, not looking very sorry at all as she wiped off the stove for the evening. "That's just how it is when you're the kitchen greenhorn."

"And just how am I-wait, what the heck is a _greenhorn_?" Tyler gapped, staring stupidly at older woman.

"A beginner." Mabel supplied, rolling her eyes and muttering to her companion at the stove. "Opal, your age is showing."

The woman in question sniffed, brushing a wispy lock of greying brown hair back into her bun without a word.

"Oh...well I am _not _a beginner when it comes to the kitchen." Tyler jumped right back to his indignant tone, even throwing his sponge into the soapy water and turning to face Opal with a dramatic scoff. "I graduated from a prestigious cooking school, thank you very much. I did not intend to be a dish boy for the rest of my life when I paid thousands of dollars to train under top chefs."

"Well excuse me, princess." Opal called back, smirking again. "Stop your complaining and get back to work, I wanna go to bed early tonight."

From my perch on the clean counter, I watched as Opal and Tyler continued to bicker as usual. Mabel would sigh exasperatedly, often having to tell them _both_ to shut up and get back to work. Like always, though, she ended up pitying Tyler and helped him put the cleaned dishes away. Charlie was whistling contentedly as all of this happened behind him, making preparations for tomorrows meals as he surveyed the menus next to me.

"Ladies, make sure we have that ham in the fridge to thaw." he called over all the squabbling.

A happy smile was on my face as I appreciated this time with my friends. I guess this was the reason I most enjoyed hanging out in the kitchens. Here I was shut away from all the horrors outside, surrounded by the safety of my friends. In a way, they were sorta becoming my family too. We were all becoming family, since we couldn't see our real ones for various reasons. I hadn't told anybody this, but what I most wanted to do was bring Master Daniel in here to meet everybody. I just knew he'd fit right in, and then he could be apart of our little makeshift family too. I bet that would get him to smile.

"Charlie, what are we doing for breakfast tomorrow? Anything complicated?" Opal whined, cracking her back as she stood straight from the gleaming stove.

"Just omelets, but there's a lot of peppers that need to be cut for both breakfast and lunch."

Opal deflated with a grumpy sigh, giving the fridge a scathing look.

"Can't we just cut them in the morning? It won't take but a few seconds to prepare enough for a couple omelets. It's not like that boy is going to eat them anyways."

I frowned at the older woman's callous comment. Mabel quickly interjected herself into Opal's complaining, sparing a glance in my direction. It's no secret that I care for the teen.

"Here, I'll take care of the peppers." Mabel said soothingly, patting her friend on the shoulder and bustling her to the door. "You just get on to bed, Miss grump-bucket. Cleanings mostly done anyways, it's no trouble."

Opal grunted, looking at Charlie to make sure it was okay before hanging up her apron with a yawn.

"Alright, alright, I'm going. Thanks Mabel. G'night Charlie, Elysia." She yawned, waving a hand over her shoulder and leaving out the back door.

"Good night, Opal!" Tyler called, rolling his eyes and muttering something about crotchety old women. Mable smacked him on the head with a spoon.

I hid my snickering, though Charlie glanced up at me with a smirk. Mabel hummed lightly as she pulled out the cutting board and the peppers, expertly chopping away with a speediness that made me a little nervous.

"Tyler, there's a marination sauce that could be mixed tonight, if you'd like to do the honors. I'll take care of it in the morning, otherwise." Charlie offered the young cook the invitation, knowing how much he legitimately enjoyed cooking.

"Sure, no problem boss." he smiled, hastily washing off the last dish and wiping it dry with a flourish.

The pan didn't look very dry from my spot on the other side of the kitchen, and there was water all over the floor from Tyler's dishwashing adventures, but the young man didn't seem to notice as he threw the towel into the dirty hamper. In a flash he was by Charlie's side, giving me a wink and itching for the recipe. I laughed at his eagerness despite the late hour and volunteered myself to clean up his mess. I am a maid, after all.

For about five minutes we all chatted lightly about carefree subjects that didn't require much thought, just something to keep us happy and content. We were all so wrapped up in what we were doing that we didn't notice someone else enter the kitchen. At least, not until he announced himself with an annoyed cough. The chattering came to an abrupt halt at the sound of our unwelcome intruder, the high-nosed butler, Donovan, standing at the entrance.

"What do you want?" Tyler asked rather rudely. Charlie sent him a disapproving frown, but didn't say anything. Donovan isn't exactly the most popular member of the staff, but _most_ of us know better than to mess with him. Anything that comes out of that rats mouth-whether it's true or not-goes straight into Mister Master's ear, and there's already been a...termination...thanks to him.

Luckily, the oily man only sneered at my friend, ignoring him and turning his cold eyes to the elder cook.

"Mister Masters requests a pot of tea for him and his young...charge."

I grit my teeth, fists nearly clenching at the way his eyes sparked with malicious amusement as he offhandedly mentioned Master Daniel. Figures Mister Masters would have a slimy guy like him for a butler. It was a perfect fit, really. Oh but for all of Donovan's self-assumed power, knew his place. He didn't challenge more powerful men like our employer. No, he wouldn't dare to do that.

"We'll have it ready." Charlie replied curtly.

Donovan smirked, inclining his head and backing out of the room without another word. Tyler continued to glare as the door swung shut, turning his scowl to the sauce he was suddenly mixing violently.

"I hate that guy." He grumbled. "Does he really need to be a jerk when everything's bad enough as it is?"

"Easy Tyler, don't let him get to you." Charlie said soothingly. "You too, Elysia. He may be a rat, but he's still a dangerous man."

"I know, but can you believe the way he talks about Master Daniel?" I huffed, my pathetically small fists clenching. "He's _unbelievable_."

The still bitter dish boy snorted.

"He _is _Mister Master's butler. It's no shocker that he's a total dic-"

"_Tyler_." Charlie quickly scolded, not a fan of bad language. His frown fell away with a sigh, though, knowing full well the night wouldn't return to it's light hearted chatter before bedtime. "Mabel, could you-"

"Already on it, Charlie" she replied, setting a pot of water on the stove.

I stared at the little black pot...well, glared more like. I really didn't understand people like Donovan. How could anybody be so cruel during times like these? It's not like the butler is unaware of Mister Master's crimes. He know exactly what will happen if he whispers some kind of lie about a staff member he doesn't like. Then again, he also knows what will probably happen if he gets _caught_ lying. I doubt Mister Masters likes to be played the fool, even in the petty situation of slime like Donovan getting the stronger to prey on the weak. Everyone is too scared to go to Mister Masters about it, though. He'd probably think the whole situation was just a waste of his time and kill us all for bothering him.

I shivered, still watching the silent pot as the familiar feeling of fear began to chill my insides. I couldn't help but think of the maid that got on Donovan's bad side. The one who mysteriously didn't show up for work the day after he went to Mister Masters about her 'stealing his priceless mantlepieces.' We all thought Mister Masters wouldn't care. We thought for sure he'd get rid of Donovan for bothering him with something so petty, not to mention the fact that it was a _lie_. When the maid didn't show up the next day though...we could only assume...

Luckily, Donovan hasn't been as brash as that again. He knows that if he bothers Mister Masters too much-_especially _if he gets caught lying-he'll be permanently removed from the mansion himself. Instead he plays a dangerous game, acting like he has so much power over us because he's Mister Masters personal butler. He's nothing more than an idiot, though. If he's not careful, many of us are worried that the powerful hybrid will simply grow tired of _all _his human servants and kill us off for easier-to-manage ghostly ones. It's no secret that Mister Masters regards his servants with nothing more than contempt, even the high and mighty Donovan.

My narrowed eyes turned to the door where Donovan was standing outside. Figures he'd consider himself too superior to wait for the tea in the kitchens. Instead he expects us to bring it to him, like _we're _his servants. Wouldn't it be funny if someone else delivered the tea and Donovan was left standing there like the dumb cluck he is, all scared and nervous that he was making Mister Masters wait too long...

It was a funny thought, and I seriously wished someone would do it, just to see the look on his face. But we were all too scared to do something like that. Scared of Donovan _and _Mister Masters.

The grim smirk that was previously on my face slipped off like wet mud, bitter realization hitting me in that moment. Fear. Anxiety. Apprehension...it's always going to hold me back, isn't it? There's always going to be something-or some_one_-that I'm afraid of. It's...it's keeping me from everything. My home, my family, my _life_. If I can't even set it aside to help myself, how will I ever be able to reach out and help other people? How will I ever be able to help _Danny_? From morning to night, I constantly day-dream about helping him smile or escape, but who am I kidding? For heavens sake, I could barely give him that pastry this morning! And now I'm just going to sit here, like I always do, mentally complaining and lamenting about how terrible things are and pretending I'll eventually do something when I know I really won't-

That's it.

The tea pot whistled at the perfect moment, and for one silly second I thought it was from the steam coming out of my ears. I jumped off the counter with a solid glare, determination like I'd never felt before blazing through me. I didn't feel like a little maid in that moment. I felt capable, confident, _strong_. I briefly wondered if this is what it felt like to be brave when Mabel finally noticed me setting up the tray of tea.

Of course, she assumed I was setting it up to take to Donovan, but my rapidly beating heart had a different idea. A crazy, insane idea that I was probably going to regret. I tried not to think about that part though, because if I thought about it too much I wouldn't go through with this. And I _had _to go through with this.

"Um...Elysia? Donovan is out that door." Mabel called to my retreating form, clearly bewildered as I headed for the back door of the kitchen.

"I'm not taking this to Donovan. I'm taking it up myself." I replied curtly, my tone much more confident than I expected.

"You-what? Elys-!"

I didn't wait to hear what she had to say, nor did I turn around when Charlie and Tyler called after me. I couldn't stop. If I stopped I wouldn't go through with this. I heard my friends try to follow me out the back door, but I was walking fast. The elevator doors were already closing by the time they reached me, and I managed to hear Tyler's fearful cry before I was alone in the tiny space and heading up to the third floor.

It took all of three seconds to realize I was absolutely terrified.

Panic hit the moment those elevator doors closed and I was all alone. My entire body was shaking, and I had to double my grip on the tray to keep the tea from spilling. What on earth was I _doing_? I couldn't even _think _about the look on Donovan's face, a whole new slew of fear racing through my body at the thought of the dangerous butler. He was going to be furious about this. I-I didn't even think-He's going to tell lies to Mister Masters. I'm going to end up like the last maid and never see my friends again!

A light ding managed to make its way through my near hyperventilation. I was already at the third floor. The doors were sliding open, and I was afraid the two hybrids could hear my pounding heart from here. The hall itself was utterly silent, dwarfing my trembling form as my feet moved on auto pilot. Somehow, I was still going through with this. I didn't want to, and everything in my being screamed to turn around, but despite all of that I kept moving closer and closer to the study at the end of the hall.

The door was cracked open. A sliver of yellow light was cutting through the shadows of the hall. Voices could be heard from beyond the heavy, oak door, but I was too far away to make them out. Anything was better than the fear threatening to break me, though, so I allowed my curiosity to take over and tried to make out what they were saying. Maybe now was a bad time and I could make the excuse that I thought it more prudent to come back la-

Someone was crying.

My eyes widened when I realized the mumbling I couldn't make out was actually someone's muffled sobs. Maybe now really _was _a bad time. For one wretched moment, I thought I was hearing Master Daniel. But...but no...it couldn't be him. The tone was too low...

Ridiculously enough, my curiosity took over from there and I forgot that I was terrified. I inched my way closer to the cracked door, hardly breathing. My heart was in my throat, but I eased myself closer, peaking in-

"Daniel, you're going to have to pull the trigger eventually."

I barely managed to stifle my gasp at what I saw. Wide eyes took in the form of an unfamiliar man on the floor, bound, gagged, and sobbing pitifully. He seemed to be begging for his life, shaking his head back and forth almost pathetically. Blood covered the floor, leaking out from fatal looking wounds that littered his body. His eyes were trained to the gun currently pointing at his head, a gun held by Master Daniel.

The poor boy looked almost as bad off as the man dying at his feet. The silver gun in his outstretched hands was shaking badly. Everything about his stance screamed the desire to throw the weapon away and run, but he couldn't look away from the pleading man. His wide eyes were transfixed on the bleeding figure, and he looked like he was having trouble breathing.

"V-Vlad...I can't-I can't do this."

"Yes you can." Drawled a light voice. "It's very simple. You don't even know this man and he's going to die anyways."

A pink blast of something came out of nowhere and made me jump. It collided with the man on the floor, making him scream as more blood leaked out of his pale body and the source of all his wounds was made apparent. The teen had flinched violently at the attack, squeezing his eyes shut when the man emitted a muffled howl.

Then the terrifying form of Vlad Plasmius walked in front of the cracked door, and I nearly emitted a scream of my own. I was frozen to the spot as he lazily strolled over to his desk, leaning against it and looking down at the man with a disgusted frown. He looked more bored than anything, and that's what terrified me the most.

"Daniel."

The boy flinched again, reluctantly meeting the pitiless red eyes boring holes into his skull. I watched him struggle to swallow and then glance back to the bleeding, crying man, a pained look flashing through his eyes. Yet Plasmius seemed to only roll his pupil-less hues at this, sighing as though working with a particularly difficult child.

"He's going to bleed out. You might as well make it less painful and just shoot him already."

"I-" Danny tried to speak, but couldn't, clearly wanting to drop the gun.

The powerful ghost across from him frowned, watching the pitiful stalemate with a displeased frown. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to me, and no doubt to Danny, he stood up with a tired sigh. I watched with wide eyes as he walked up to the shaking teen, took the gun from his hands, and aimed it at the sobbing man.

"No Vlad! Don-!"

A deafening gun shot rang when he pulled the trigger, a cold, emotionless glare in his eyes as he watched the man finally fall limp and die. Danny looked horrified for a second and then quickly looked away, gritting his teeth and shaking with the emotion he was trying to hold back. In my own horror, I somehow managed to look back up at Plasmius, but was surprised at what I saw. He looked at the corpse with nothing but apathy, but when he turned to look at Danny, a dismayed, nearly regretful expression crossed his face. He exhaled sadly, running a hand through the hunched teen's hair and shaking his head.

"...That heart of yours is going to destroy you, Daniel..."

If Danny heard him mutter that comment, he didn't react to it. He was still looking away from the crime scene, hands closed into formidable fists. Plasmius continued to watch him, a troubled frown on his face. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Master Daniel threw the fist he was clenching. Plasmius completely expected this attack, easily catching the emotionally charged punch and then catching the second one. Danny tried to yank his wrists out of the powerful hybrid's grip, but he was stuck.

"Let go of me, you murderer!"

Plasmius sighed forlornly, steeling himself for something. In a fluid maneuver, he twisted Danny around and let the struggling boy go. Immediately the teen fell to the floor...right on top of the bloody corpse. He screamed the second he realized what happened, scrambling away from the wide, glassy eyes of the dead man. In a moment, though, his horror twisted into a hateful glare directed right at Plasmius. The older hybrid only frowned back, his eyes reluctantly turning cold. He walked toward the toppled teenager, his steps strong and purposeful as he stepped over the corpse. I didn't blame Danny when he scrambled back, quickly struggling to stand as Plasmius closed in.

"Lets understand one thing, Daniel." The older man grabbed the boy by his neck, forcing him up. "What prevents you from pulling the trigger is what makes you _weak-_"

"H-How the hell is _killling _people going to make me stronger?" The teen yelled, borderline hysterical.

"You don't _think_ beyond your own childish black and white morals, Daniel!" Plasmius grit his teeth furiously, tightening the hand around the boy's neck. "You claim killing is so wrong, but if killing the person in question would save millions of lives or even one life, can you-by your own logic-deny those people their chance at life?"

"That's completely differen-"

"_No _it's _not_!" Plasmius roared. "You still think the question is whether killing is right or wrong! What I'm _trying _to tell you is that it's _neither_! Killing another person is nothing more than an _act_, Daniel, one you are _too weak_ to do! You blindly attach these moral complications to it and fail to see that in reality, it's nothing more than a tool that can be used to _protect _just as much as it can be used to _destroy_."

"Why the hell are you telling me this, Plasmius!" Danny screamed, definitely a little hysterical now. "Are you trying to get me to kill _you_?"

"Well that would be a touch hypocritical, now wouldn't it?" The older ghost smirked sardonically. "You have no idea who this man is, Daniel. He's done things even _I _wouldn't sink to. You need to understand that the irrational empathy you hold for every human being on this earth is _more_ than just obscenely annoying. If you constantly allow such altruism to guide your actions, you won't survive in this world and I will _not _allow that."

"Having a little compassion isn't going to kill me, and if it does, then I don't care!"

Plasmius let out a growl of frustration, pitching the teen forward and suddenly shoving him into the corse. Danny yelped, immediately clambering to get away, but Plasmius wouldn't let him. He held the poor child down by the back of his neck, forcing him to look at the dead body.

"This man raped four different women, let an entire town _starve to death_ because it no longer produced a profitable export, and killed his own son because he lead a revolt against him! _More importantly_, the pathetic worm was devising a hair-brained scheme to _kill us both _and reclaim the world as his own! This is who you placed your ignorant compassion in, Daniel! Do you still not see a problem?"

Plasmius yanked the boy up, dragged him to the desk and forced him into the plush chair.

"Your flippant concern for the entire world is going to destroy you! At the very _least, _it will cause you to be exploited by anyone with a stronger stomach than you, which, I'm sorry to say, won't be much of a challenge."

Danny sent the man an icy glare at the jibe, temper flying off.

"So because I don't like killing people, I'm gonna get taken advantage of?"

"No, Daniel! You're going to get taken advantage of because you don't have the _backbone_ to prevent it! People will _never _live up to what you expect them to be, and if they do, they will inevitably fall! If you consistently put your faith and compassion in other people, you will fall with them and I can't allow that! You could become such an incredible force to be reckoned with if you'd _only _have the confidence to depend on yourself instead of people like _him_!" Plasmius spat, giving the body staining the carpet a scathing glare.

Finally, the older man stood straight, staring down at the unmoving form of his young charge for a quiet moment.

"Whether you like it or not, Daniel, you will face reality. ...And if we have to repeat this evening for the next _year _until you understand...then so be it."

Slowly, the teen lifted his head, staring up at the cold hearted man with a bitter, furious expression. Plasmius looked down at him for a silent moment, just as unrelenting in his anger. The horrible silence lasted only moments longer before Plasmius finally turned away, walking away from the young boy like he didn't care. But the downcast frown he thought no one could see said differently.

I had only moments to ponder the peculiarity of that before I realized the older hybrid was heading straight for the door I was currently cowering behind. Renewed panic exploded through my system as he got closer, and I was just about to duck behind a plant when he stopped. He looked down at the dead body beside him, his tone devoid of any real emotion.

"...I want you to clean up this mess, too. I won't have my apprentice flinching at the sight of a corpse."

He took two more steps and then disappeared in a swirl of pink. I was left dumbfounded and confused, not understanding what happened but indescribably thankful either way. Plasmius was gone and the study beyond the cracked door was silent now. Master Daniel was staring at nothing with a vacant expression, and the dead body staining the carpet certainly wasn't saying anything. I didn't know what to do anymore, holding the tray of cold tea that had clearly been forgotten.

Danny didn't move for a long time, and neither did I. Even though the threat was gone and I no longer had any business being here, I couldn't do anything but remain crouched at the door. In my head, the scene that just transpired replayed over and over again as though on a reel. It seemed like ages before the teen finally moved and turned his head to look at the mess he was supposed to clean up. Pain twisted his features for a moment, but just as soon it was gone. He stared at the corpse for a long time, brows furrowed in furious thought. I was a little scared of what was going on in his head, to be honest.

Finally, he stood and walked closer to the corpse, his steps shaky and uneven. The neutral expression on his visage seemed to crack as he got closer, pure and utter turmoil burning in his eyes as he came to a halt and stared down into the unresponsive, glassy eyes. I watched him crumple beside the dead man, his expression finally breaking into one of heart-swallowing grief. It was probably the most heart-wrenching thing I'd ever seen, which explains why I suddenly dropped the tray of tea and rushed into the forbidden study.

Danny had looked so lost and alone, staring down at the body with the most miserably empty expression and wiping away silent tears like it was nothing to clean up a murder scene. For some reason, fear didn't hold me back this time. I just...did what my heart told me to do, running toward the teenager and throwing my arms around his shoulders in a very sudden and impulsive hug.

At the very least, his reaction was entertaining.

The boy yelped in utter surprise, jumping so violently from shock that he fell over, taking me with him. At this point I felt sort of like an idiot, so I hugged him tighter in an attempt to squeeze every last drop of self-doubt from his chest. That way at least my humiliation would be worth it. Naturally, he only tensed, freezing as though afraid of what I'd do next. A rather awkward silence permeated the air. The corpse at our feet and the puddle of blood we were laying in really didn't help matters, but thankfully he finally broke the silence.

"Uh...hi?"

I hugged him one last time because it felt like a good thing to do, pushing myself to my knees and quickly realizing that I was straddling him. And that my feet were touching a dead body. Needless to say, I shrieked and quickly scrambled away, both out of embarrassment and nausea. Danny looked completely bewildered, staring at me like I had three heads. Suddenly, though, a flash of recognition appeared in his eyes.

"Hey, aren't you the maid who gave me that desert thing this morning?"

"Yes!" I replied breathlessly, fanning my face to get rid of the mortified blush. "Yes, that was me!"

He stared, a degree of wariness mixing with his bafflement. Oh this wasn't turning out like I'd hoped at all. He probably thought I was some sort of psycho, and lord knows he has enough psychos in his life. I forced myself to calm down, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. I had to get a hold of myself. When I opened my eyes he was still staring at me like I was a martian, so I smiled calmly and held out a blood covered hand.

"Hello Master Daniel. I'm Elysia, one of the maids from the cleaning staff."

The boy continued to stare at me, eyes looking from my outstretched hand, to the disgusting corpse beside us, and then back to me.

"...Where did...how long where you standing out there?" He asked slowly, brows furrowing.

I faltered at that one, hand lowering a bit.

"Um...not too long. But you're supposed to clean up this mess, right? Don't you worry, Master Daniel! With my help it'll be a snap!" I quickly stood, fidgeting with my uniform to fill the silence and suddenly noticing all the blood stains. "Oh my..."

The teen stared at me for a moment longer, finally pushing himself to his feet with an unsure expression.

"Um, look...Elysia..." He glanced down at the corpse, scratching the back of his head. "It's not that I don't appreciate the offer, but if Vlad catches you-"

"Oh, don't you worry about that, Master Daniel. I'm not afraid of him." Alright, so that was an outright lie, but maybe if I told myself that enough times I'd actually believe it. It's not like there was any going back now. The teen in front of me saw right through my lie, his wary expression slowly easing into something near understanding.

"Uh...just call me Danny. I hate being called Daniel, especially _Master _Daniel." He scathed, sticking his tongue out.

"Oh, um, well alright then Danny." I smiled. "Lets get this guy into the incinerator, shall we?"

"The inci-_what?_ Wait, Elysia." He sighed, rubbing his temples like Mister Masters does. He suddenly looked very old, and very tired. "Look, you can't help me. It's just... I can't...you look really nice and if you got killed because of me-"

"Shhh, Danny." I cut him off because he suddenly looked like he was gonna fall apart again. He flinched when I placed my hands on his shoulders, and I quickly moved them away. "...Danny." I waited until he was looking at me. "I'm not going to let you do this alone anymore, okay? After everything you've done for Amity Park...this is the least I can do."

I'm not exactly sure what part of 'this' I was talking about. Maybe I was talking about cleaning up this corpse and maybe I meant I wouldn't let him struggle alone under our cold-hearted dictator. I guess I didn't really have to specify, though. I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away from the teen after this, not with the way he was looking at me, like I was an angel sent from heaven.

The poor boy couldn't say anything in response. Big, ice blue eyes stared up at me, so much hesitation and fear in them, but then so much relief as well. He bit his lip with uncertainty, unable to hide the torn emotions clenching his throat. It didn't take a genius to know that he wanted my help, but he was still so scared to get close... That foul _beast _of a man had already done a number on him and he's only been here for a month!

"Elysia." Danny finally spoke up, his voice so small and aching with regret. "I-I can't-you need to leav-"

"It's no trouble, Danny." I whispered, almost pleadingly.

In all honesty, we both knew it was a great deal of trouble. I knew I was risking my life by helping him, but, strangely, I couldn't be bothered by that anymore. If he didn't let me in...all of who he is would die here. Vlad Masters would snake his way into this boy's head and twist him into something he's not, and I couldn't let that happen, not to an innocent teenager like him. So...I was okay with the risks. I was honestly, strangely, completely okay with it.

"But he'll...he'll kill you..." he whispered, fists and teeth clenching tightly. "Y-you don't understand. He's very...possessive."

My resolve solidified with his words, a sharp glare narrowing my eyes.

"_No_, Danny. You can't use yourself as a shield between him and the world. He's a sick man and you're just a kid. It doesn't matter what you say, whether it's giving you a pastry with breakfast or...or if it's escape...I'm going to help you."

"But..." Danny stared at me in amazed disbelief, shaking his head. "But _why?_ You don't even _know _me."

I smiled gently and slowly placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn't flinch this time.

"I know you're a good kid. You're a very good kid, Danny. I won't let anything change that."

Something cracked in his eyes. He squeezed them shut, looking away before finally covering his face with his hands. He was shaking his head slowly, a shuddering breath keeping all words locked in his throat. I felt my own throat tighten, gently easing the teen into a hug. I knew, down in the pool of doubt Mister Masters was festering, Danny was having trouble believing my words. But I'd help him remember. He knew he was a good kid at heart. It was why he continued to fight the man. He just needed a little reminding once in a while, and I'd be there for him when he did.

Danny still had trouble letting me help him, constantly looking over his shoulder as though expecting Mister Masters to swoop down. Truthfully, I was afraid of that too, but I tried to forget about it as we struggled to clean up all the gore. I had to leave to fetch an empty laundry trolley for the body and plenty of cleaning supplies, but luckily I didn't run into anyone on the way. I was still covered in blood, after all, and such a sight would likely give my friends in the kitchen a heart attack.

I swiftly returned to the study, checking to make sure the coast was clear before reentering. All of this sneaking around and borderline rebellion was making me rather excited, though. It felt invigorating to be doing something besides dusting vases. Danny was pacing back and forth in front of the dead man when I returned, wringing his hands together nervously. His face lit up with relief at the sight of me though, and we quickly got down to business.

"Oh, this is going to be so gross." I whined, unable to help myself as I stood in front of the feet.

"Tell me about it." Danny muttered, momentarily reaching down to close the man's eyes.

"Alright." He sighed, getting a grip under the limp arms. "Ready?"

I nodded quickly, wincing as we lifted the heavy body from the floor and tossed it into the canvas trolley. It made a dull thump, landing haphazardly with on of it's legs sticking out.

"Whatever, that's good enough." Danny frowned, exhaling from the effort. He wiped his bloodied hands on his pants, looking at the pool of blood still on the carpet.

"I grabbed a gallon of bleach." I offered, holding up several towels and the potent cleaning solution.

"Good. I vote we just dump it on the floor cause I really don't give a crap about staining Vlad's stupid carpet." He scowled, hands on his hips.

"Me either." I giggled, setting down the bucket of hot water I also brought with me.

Danny was quiet for a moment, staring at the blood puddle and then looking at a watch on his wrist.

"...I don't think you should help me clean up the mess on the floor. I don't know when Vlad's coming back, but it's best if he never knows that we've spoken. I don't want to put you in unnecessary dange-"

"Danny." I sighed exasperatedly. "I told you, I don't care about the danger. I'm going to help you whether you like it or not."

He stared at me, blinking.

"...You...remind me of my sister..." He muttered, a fond smirk twitching his lips. He continued speaking before I could comment, though. "Fine, if you're going to be stubborn like that, then we at least have to be smart about it. Vlad can _never know _about you, okay?"

"Fine by me. That man gives me the creeps."

"You have no idea." Danny muttered, shivering before addressing me again. "I'll help you wheel the body to the incinerator, but after that we split, deal?"

"Deal." I agreed, only slightly reluctantly since Danny made no implications that we wouldn't see each other again. After all, I didn't want to be caught by that psychopath.

Danny nodded firmly, another small smile twitching the corners of his mouth up. Without further ado, we both grabbed one end of the trolley and wheeled it out, making sure to grab the fallen tea set as well. Danny didn't say much as I lead the way to the elevators. Now that we were out in the open, he was more alert, eyes jumping to the slightest bit of movement. We made it to the elevator without any trouble, though, quickly stuffing ourselves inside with the large trolley.

The moment we were shut in, light sounds of jazzy elevator music filled the suffocating box. We both stood there for a moment, glancing awkwardly at each other as the elevator slowly descended. It was just me, Danny, and this dead guy with his leg sticking out. I had to say something.

"So...did you like the pastry?" I asked, feeling like an idiot.

"Uh...yeah. It was good."

I nodded, making some pointless sound of appeasement.

"Well that's...that's good..."

"...Yep."

Good lord, getting through to this kid was going to be harder than I thought.

Finally, a light ding broke the silence. Danny looked up at the fancy arrows above the sliding doors, watching it land on the basement level. The heavy doors soon slide open, bringing us to a screeching halt when revealing a tall, high-nosed man with an oily sneer standing right in front of us.

"D-Donovan!" I squeaked, suddenly remembering him from my disastrous tea scheme.

The tall man stared at us, the sneer slipping off his face faster than a knife fight in a phone booth. I watched his beady eyes go from my blood covered form, to the body in a basket behind us, and then to Danny, his face twisting into one of abject horror.

"What have you done!" He hissed, glancing warily at Danny for a second time.

I glared at him, but I had no clue what to say. I was about to panic because I knew Donovan would go straight to Vlad Masters about this, and then Mister Masters would want to know what a measly maid was doing up on the third floor at this hour and then Donovan would tell him about my trick and then I'd-

"Things got a little messy in Vlad's study." Danny suddenly spoke up, his tone hard and clearly wanting no argument from the nosey butler. "Vlad called the nearest maid to help me clean it up. Is there a problem?"

Donovan gave the boy a long, slow look before looking back to me. He could smell something fishy, but he certainly wasn't bold enough to challenge Vlad's protege. Not when Danny was glaring at him with a look that gave _me _the shivers.

"N-no, young master. My sincerest apologies..."

Donovan backed away from the door, disappearing into the shadows beyond with a badly concealed suspicious stare. I caught the slithering snake shoot me one last glare, and then he was gone. Danny didn't miss the breath of relief that deflated my lungs, shooting me a curious look.

"That's...Vlad's butler right? Is there something bad about him?"

"You could say that, yeah." I frowned, glaring grimly at the shadows he disappeared in but returning my attention to the trolley. There wasn't anything I could do about him now...

"I played a trick on him." I grunted, shoving the trolley out the door with Danny's help.

"A trick?"

"Yeah. Donovan thinks he runs the servants just because he's Vlad's personal butler. Everyone is scared that if we do something he doesn't like, he'll go to Vlad with some kinda lie and get us in serious trouble. Well...he came into the kitchens earlier this evening saying Mister Masters had requested a tray of tea. He was just so arrogant and snotty about it that I..." I shook my head, glaring heatedly from the memory.

"Well it just got me thinking and I decided to play a trick on Donovan by taking the tea tray to Mister Masters myself. I just wanted Donovan to panic a little and remember that he's just as unimportant as the rest of us in Mister Masters grand scheme of things, but when I got to the study...well..."

Danny didn't comment, knowing all too well what I found when I got to the study. He sighed, glancing back down the hall as we wheeled the trolley to the incinerator.

"...is he going to be a problem?"

"I...I don't think so..." I frowned, wondering what the teen was thinking.

He sighed again, turning back about around with a tired expression. Things were quiet between us for a while, not even elevator music available to alleviate the silence. I bit my lip, glancing back at Danny's vacant expression.

"Danny, tell me about your sister." I said suddenly, the words jumping from my mouth before I could stop them.

"My sister?" He blinked, coming back from the dark emptiness in his eyes. "Why?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Just curious. If you tell me about her I'll tell you about my little brother."

"You have a little brother?"

"Mmhm." A fond smile slipped onto my lips. "...You remind me of him, actually."

I could feel Danny's eyes on my back, so I turned around and smiled reassuringly at him. He was quiet for only a moment longer before opening up.

"My sister's name is Jazz...She's really smart, and really nosey too." He shot me a teasing smirk to which I made a face at. "She always wanted to help me with my ghost fighting, even when it was too dangerous. She'd usually just end up sucking _me _into the Fenton thermos though." He chuckled quietly, getting a faraway look in his eyes. "I always told her to butt out of my business, but she's really stubborn...She was always there for me, even when I didn't want her to be..."

His words trailed off, the small smile that had been on his face already gone and replaced with the sorrow of homesickness. I knew how Danny felt though. I missed my own family so very much...

"...My little brother is about your age. He's the wild one in the family." I smiled. "I've always been too timid and quiet, but not Caleb. He's a big prankster and he isn't afraid of sticking up for people. He's a good kid too."

Danny was quiet. For a few moments, I wasn't sure if he was going to respond. Finally, though, he spoke up.

"What happened to them? You're family, I mean."

"...I don't know." I replied softly, homesickness aching in my own chest now. "I've worked for Mister Masters since he lived in Wisconsin, and when he decided to move to Amity Park, I did too. I just wanted to get out of my old, small town, but now...I'd give anything to see it again. To see my _family _again. But I don't even know if...if they're..."

I tried to keep talking, I really did, but I just couldn't. I didn't want to cry in front of Danny, because I was supposed to be the strong one for him. There wasn't any way to stop the tears that welled up, though. Talking about my family made me miss them so much, not to mention wonder if they were even-

"It's okay, Elysia." Danny spoke up, voice hesitant. We finally came to the incinerator door, and stopped. "I'm sure your family is okay, and I bet they're just as worried about you. You'll see them again someday...just like I'll see my own family."

I sniffed, smiling weakly at Danny and blinking and irritating moisture away. It was darn near unbelievable that he still had hope after everything he's been through, but it was evident right in his expression. It was buried deep, and that cruel tyrant had certainly done a good job trying to pollute and destroy it, but Danny hadn't given up. He still had hope.

"...You really are an incredible boy, Danny." I said softly, looking right into his eyes. "Don't ever let Mister Masters make you think differently."

He looked away, going quiet for a painful moment before slowly turning to look at me again. A barely detectable smile returned to his features, but I could see the gratitude in his eyes all the same.

"...Thanks Elysia." He said quietly. "...For everything."


	13. Chapter 13

Let's just jump right in, shall we? :D

* * *

_"I know you're a good kid. You're a very good kid, Danny." _

Vlad thrust up, forcing his cock deeper into my gasping body. My back arched, able to feel his full length as I rode the penetrating erection. The air was thick with sweat and sex, sheets tangled under my folded legs. I couldn't stop shaking, pain and poisonous pleasure sending tremors up my spine. Vlad's hands were digging into my hips, forcing me down on every thrust and making stars explode.

I could feel it in the back of my throat again, that heavy lump just sitting there like dead weight. Everything felt _so wrong_, but I couldn't stop it. There wasn't anything I could do to stop it, stop him, or stop the awful rush of satisfaction I was forced into.

"Aah!"

He angled his hips differently. I felt all of my abdominal muscles seize in sickening anticipation, catching myself on Vlad's slick chest as my spine went rigid. He thrust in once more, groaning as my orgasm clenched around his member and made him see stars too.

Only the sounds of heavy pants and moans filled the air at this point. I could feel his hands everywhere as we rode out the climax, my own fingers gripping his shoulders with an intensity foreign to me. Mindlessly, I rolled my hips a few more times, feeling his thick length slide in and out and choking on the lump in my throat. Vlad exhaled slowly, rubbing his coarse hands up and down my waist. I felt him move, a sturdy hand supporting the small of my back as he gently flipped us around.

Vlad thrust in a few more times, tearing a feeble whimper from my throat. I was slowly pressed into the mattress, praying for it to be over_. _His lips descended to my neck, swiftly traveling up and molesting my panting mouth. My grip on his arms tightened when he finally removed himself, his warm weight settling beside me. Vlad pulled me closer, cradling my body in his hands and gently leading the kiss until he was done and I had stopped shaking.

In the still quiet of the moonlit room, he smiled and wordlessly kissed my forehead, nestling my head against the crook of his neck for good measure. His arms encircled my smaller form possessively, and even though I knew it was pathetic, I let the tender hold trick me into thinking it was protective. It wasn't so bad that way. In the end-and like every other night-I found myself wrapped up in the arms of the most vile and hated man on earth, and I still let my muscles relax.

In some ways, Elysia is wrong when she says I'm a good kid.

* * *

"Imagine this, little Phantom."

Ghostwriter's near sing song voice dragged my eyes away from their dazed stare at the wall. He was pacing in front of the table, a thoughtful smile sitting on his face. I forced my heavy eyes to stay open and focus on what he was saying, pretending I wasn't exhausted or slowly going insane.

"A train is running out of control down a track. In its path are five people who have been tied to the track by a mad writer. Fortunately, you could flip a switch which will lead the train down a different track to safety. Unfortunately, there is a single person tied to that track. Should you flip the switch or do nothing?"

"...What the _heck_ kind of question is tha-Ow!"

The sharp smack of that damned ruler rattled the top of my skull for the fifth time today, followed by Ghostwriter's ever amused leer.

"That never gets old, you know."

I was too tired to reply, settling for a poisonous glare that he only grinned at. Ghostwriter waited expectantly, making it clear that he seriously wanted an answer to his psycho question. Leave it to him to make up some insane, lose-lose scenario and expect a legitimate answer from me.

"Well Danny-boy? What would you do?"

His chipper tone deepened my scowl, the expression feeling natural on my face by now. I couldn't think of the answer he was most likely looking for, because for him, it could really go either way. The pile of history and philosophy books laid out in front of me provided no response I could scan for either, though I still glanced down out of habit. But the Writer caught the small movement and immediately slammed a hand over the texts, making me jump.

"_No_, Danny." he snapped, "Stop looking for the answer you think I want to hear. _What. Would. You. Do?_"

"I-I don't know." I stammered, his bipolar intensity tripping up my words.

"Yes you do. You're just not letting yourself say it. _Think_, boy. If you had no other options, would you flip the switch or would you not?"

Ghostwriter stood straight and crossed his arms, his eyes never leaving my cornered form. The heavy tick of a grandfather clock filled the pregnant silence, seeming to reflect the Writer's cool patience as the minutes stretched on. I forced my frenzied thoughts to stop overreacting, refusing to think about Vlad and how he might hear about Ghostwriter's displeasure and how someone might die. I just had to clear my head and think, even if the question _was _sick and wrong. Besides, that's all it was, just a silly question.

So what would I do?

"I...I'd flip the switch." I finally manged to force out, voice quieter than I thought it'd be.

"Why?" He pressed immediately.

I wrinkled my nose at the sudden demand, brows furrowing.

"Because...well, because..."

The reply was sitting right on the edge of my tongue, but I couldn't say it out loud. Not after what happened in Vlad's study yesterday evening. Suddenly this wasn't just a silly question anymore, its application disturbingly close to home. Killing is supposed to be wrong no matter how you look at it. The value of a human life is not something that can be put on a scale, one against five. And yet...I'd still flip the switch. If I was in that situation and I _had_ to make a decision...I know I would. It would just be instinct.

"Because...?" Ghostwriter drawled, prompting me to continue.

"...Because it'd be better to loose one instead of five." I whispered.

"Interesting." he replied, an oily smirk slipping onto his face as he tapped his chin. "How very utilitarian of you, little Phantom. There may be hope for you yet."

"I wouldn't do it because I wanted to!" I snapped, suddenly furious. "It'd...It'd just be a reaction!"

"Well _of course_, you wouldn't _want _to. Sane people don't _want _to kill anybody, but you know, sometimes it's unavoidable."

"No, just unnecessary." I muttered mutinously, slouching in my chair.

"I think you're missing the point of the question, little Phantom." Writer's smirk widened, his pointed teeth flashing maliciously. "The real issue is _why _you'd flip the switch. You said it yourself, it'd just be a _reaction. _There's really no moral quandary about it. You would choose to murder one person as opposed to five because in the two seconds you'd have to decide, your brain would calculate that five is more valuable than one. It isn't until _after _the fact that you burden yourself with unanswerable questions of morality, which do nothing but crush your little heart."

"...You're such a bastard."

Ghostwriter slammed his hands on the arm rests of the chair, getting right in my face with a mean sneer.

"And you, Danny Phantom, are _weak_."

The repetition of Vlad's words from yesterday ignited yet another flare of anger, and before I knew it I was yelling.

"I'm not weakbecause I don't enjoy murdering people!"

A hand smacked across my face sharply, the force throwing me to one side of the chair. Ghostwriter then grabbing my jaw, fingers digging into my skin as he forced me to look at him.

"You know, I absolutely _abhor _it when ingrates insert their asinine opinions into my lectures. Did I ever _once _say killing was enjoyable? Did I even insinuate that it was something people want to do? No, I didn't. I merely pointed out the objectivity of murder. Your insistence in attaching it with a sense of morality is _highly _irritating, mostly because it prevents you from _listening _for once in your miserable life."

The Writer's nails were gouging my jaw painfully as he squeezed tighter for each emphasized word. He let go of my face with the rough motion of throwing away garbage. I instantly turned away just to escape the inhuman ferocity burning in every inch of his face, but he wasn't done yet.

"Where has your erratic empathy gotten you, Danny? How has the world repaid you for _caring_? Here's the real question though, what would happen if you _stopped_?"

I automatically responded with the reason I'd always used after witnessing that awful timeline, how I justifed staying up until three in the morning to protect ungrateful citizens and earn a D in math. Being Danny Phantom has always had it's ups and downs, but at the end of the day, I don't do it because it's easy, I do if for the people I love. Or at least, I _used _to.

"My friends and family wouldn't be able to depend on me."

Ghostwriter laughed loudly, the condescension in his cackle too obvious to miss.

"Depend on you? You can't even depend on them! Remember where you are, _little __badger_." His tone twisted into something harsher, something that gnawed at my core and inflamed a bitter resentment I knew I shouldn't feel. "Think about what you've had to _endure _while your friends and family live freely beyond this prison. Think of all the times you cared so much that you _bled _for them, and where are they now?"

God, it wasn't even noon and I already wanted to scream. I wanted to rage, and hurt something, and make it bleed and _**suffer**_ _just as much as __**me**_. It terrifies me, this giant ball of bitterness, and resentment, and confusion, and hatred. But more than that, so much more than that, is how much it _hurts_. It hurts so goddamn much and it never goes away. All I can do it sit here and feel it grow while it picks apart my brain, makes me think things that aren't true, that _can't _be true. My family wouldn't abandon me friends...none of them would...would leave me...

But hot shame seared across my skull, millions of insects crawling all over my body as I remembered what I did last night, the way I spread my legs and bent over, moaning and panting. Revulsion and a consuming hatred burned hotter than the ball of resentment, duly directed at no one but myself. A small, devastatingly honest voice made me wonder if I even wanted to see my family anymore, if I _deserved _them. How could they look at me with anything but nausea after what I've done?

"What happened after Kwan died, little Phantom?"

"I don't know." I muttered, but it came out as a strangled whisper.

"What happened after that nobody died yesterday in the study?"

"I don't know."

"I tell you what happened," he said gleefully, "Nothing happened. The sun still rose the next day, Plasmius still ruled the world, and you still hated yourself. Life moved on without an ounce of remorse because that's how life is. Doesn't make much sense to overcomplicate it with trivial human ideals, now does it? In fact, if you asked me," Ghostwriter's voice was suddenly inches away from my ear, but I didn't even twitch. "If you stopped _caring_, you'd stop _hurting_."

I grit my teeth, heart hollowing out at how frightfully _tempting _that was, how _easy_. He was right too. If I just stopped caring...

I shoved the thoughts away before I could finish them, not allowing myself to entertain the idea because the face of a certain monster kept creeping into my mind's eye, reminding me of what I'd become if I stopped caring about humanity like that. But the possibility of turning into _him _didn't scare me nearly as much as it used to, and _that's _what scared me the most. Was I just not bothered anymore, having seen the same level of gore and destruction in the past month as in that alternate timeline? Part of me had to wonder if I was already on my way to becoming him without even realizing it, certainly feeling corrupted enough for it to be possible. Or was I not bothered because it all just hurt too much? Ghostwriter's notion was disturbingly seductive in its simplicity, such an easy solution to all this _pain_. Could I even do it? Just stop caring like that? I think a small, treacherous part of me didn't even _want _to care anymore.

"God, shut up!" I yelled, not sure if I was talking to Ghostwriter or the thoughts in my head.

I heard him cackle, stiffening when he suddenly grabbed my upper arms in a bracing grip from behind.

"Calm down, little badger, it was just an idea. Goodness, you're so tense and _unstable _these days."

He squeezed my stone arms tauntingly, skipping away when I yanked out of his grasp and spun around with looks that could kill. Anger, as I had discovered long ago, is so much more bearable than misery.

"Gee, I wonder why. Can't possibly have anything to do with the nut-jobs I'm forced to be around." I spat, the fury blinding.

A corner of Ghostwriter's lip twitched to widen his antagonizing smirk, already have its infuriating effect on my out-of-control temper. He raised the ruler to crack it against my head, but before he could I did something I really shouldn't have. I didn't think, I just...did it. Rage turned my vision red as that stupid ruler came down to clock my cranium. In one fluid motion I caught the damn thing with one hand and snapped it in half.

Everything came to a halt. Ghostwriter blinked in shock for the half second it took that resounding _snap! _to extinguish my anger. He stared at the broken tool on the table, slowly rising his head to level his gaze on me. My breath had turned shallow, allowing my racing heart to echo throughout my chest. I glanced down at the broken ruler and up again at Ghostwriter, who was still just _staring _at me.

"You...broke my ruler." He said emotionlessly.

I wasn't breathing anymore, already seeing that white room with the glass and Kwan's blood all over my hands.

"I...I didn't mean to." I whispered hoarsely, wetting dry lips.

"Yes you did." His eyes narrowed dangerously, making me flinch. "Otherwise you wouldn't have broken it."

"I-" but no other sound would come out. The only thing I could do was gap at him like a fish, waiting for him to hurt me-no, _hoping _all he would do is hurt me. He couldn't tell Vlad about this. He couldn't cause if he did-! Ghostwriter stared at me with a stone face, picking up the pieces of his ruler without breaking eye contact and putting the tool back together with ghost powers. There was a slight variation though. It glowed an unnatural green and its form seemed to shift in the air, smoothly transitioning from wood to what looked like iron.

I still wasn't breathing fully, waiting on pins and needles that made me want to scream all over again. But Ghostwriter just cast me one more undecipherable stare, smacking the heavy ruler against his open palm as he pointed down to the books on the table.

"Where were we now? Ah yes. _Imperialism._"

For the next two hours, Ghostwriter worked hard to chip away at my faith in humanity while I had mini, internal panic attacks every other minute. I could barely focus on what he was saying, knowing it was something about massacres and countless wars and brutality. The only thing I could think about was who I would find in that white room. Dash maybe? Another A-lister? My friends? My _family_?

Ghostwriter couldn't have been as oblivious to my anxiety as he was acting. He kept smacking the iron ruler against his open palm, making me twitch. The clock out in the hallway was twice as loud too, fraying my already frayed nerves. I couldn't keep my eyes focused on one place, jumping to all the text book pictures illustrating the extent of humanities cruelness in bright, gory detail. My heart rate wouldn't calm down either, remaining at a constant rate of dear_god_pleasedon'tlethimtellVlad. I swore to myself I'd never get angry or loose my temper again, getting irrationally pissed even as the thought crossed my mind because that's how out of control my emotions have become. Who _cares_ if I broke his _stupid ruler_. It's not worth killing an innocent life over! He should be happy I didn't break his damn _neck_.

The black ball of bitterness and hatred grew, coating my insides with a gunky slime that burned with repressed rage. I was so angry, _always so angry_. And if I wasn't angry I was being crushed under an unbearable weight of misery. All of it was so consuming, and then _loud _when fear became part of the equation, so loud that I couldn't ignore it no matter how hard I tried. I felt like my days were spent being furious, miserable, and afraid for everyone but myself. It...it was _exhausting_.

"And that, little Phantom, is-"

A quick, sharp knock at the door ended our tutoring session, my stomach bottoming out. Ghostwriter blinked and looked up, a sly smile sliding onto his face that did nothing to quell the agonizing fear.

"Well it looks like our lessons have come to an unfortunate end." He lamented, waving the stacks of books and papers away with a dramatic flourish. "Don't forget to keep working on your readings and essays, now. We wouldn't want those grades to slip."

I cast his oily smirk a glower before pulling myself out of the chair and turning to face our intruder, praying the anger effectively covered my panic. Vlad was standing next to the door frame, haughty as ever, though not even a trace of a pompous smirk brightened his visage today. That couldn't be good. Like a good little pet, I approached and Vlad's hand extend out to settle on my shoulder as I reached his side. My heart was leaping in my throat for a different reason than his sour mood though, especially when Ghostwriter creeped up from behind and handed him a folded piece of paper, giving me a nasty smile. Vlad rose an eyebrow but nodded silently, directing me down the hall without a word.

He remained silent as we made our way down to the dining room, unfolding the mysterious paper. Normally I'd be perfectly okay with him keeping his trap shut, but in light of recent events and the tattle-tale letter he was reading, I was back to having mini, internal panic attacks all over again. I tried to ignore what he was doing, telling myself that the letter could be anything. I couldn't help but chance a glance at his expression though, hoping to garner the slightest hint of whether the letter was good news or bad. But he kept whatever was going on behind his inscrutable mask expertly hidden, and being left in the dark is never a good place when dealing with Vlad Masters.

"Um..." I coughed, ignoring the sweat rolling down the back of my neck as I pathetically tried to start some form of conversation. I couldn't stand this silence and I wanted to take his mind off whatever he was reading. "What, uh...what was his name? The guy from last night?"

"Does it matter?" Vlad responded, not even looking at me.

The silence stretched on and I retreated back to my head, cowed like a little mouse.

"...No, I guess it doesn't." I muttered.

I thought I felt him glance down at me, but when I looked up he hadn't moved. We continued on in silence, soon approaching the stairs that would take us down to the dining hall. I pulled uncomfortably at the heavy collar around my neck as we descended, listening to him refold the piece of paper and tuck it away in his suit. The consuming tension suffocated any attempts to wheedle out Vlad's thoughts. His grip on my shoulder tightened as we got closer to the dining room doors, and I didn't understand why until I tried to veer left and Vlad kept going straight.

"Not yet Daniel. There's something we need to take care of first." That was all he said as he dragged me to a destination unknown.

_No no no no NO!_

My throat was incredibly dry, each step jerky and uneven. Vlad was breaking away from his usual pattern, something a man as meticulous as him would never do unless he had a reason. There was no more denying it; that letter had been about the ruler incident and now I was going to have to watch someone _die _because I couldn't control my temper. I couldn't reign in my frantic thoughts, heart pounding in my ribcage as I cursed every inch of Ghostwriter's existence. If Vlad noticed this he didn't act like it, keeping a stony face as we turned a corner. We stopped at his lab door and he pulled me into the depths of the basement, my composure nearly breaking.

"What are we doing?" I asked, knowing I sounded as terrified as I felt.

"Nothing too strenuous, dear boy. This way now."

He was being infuriatingly cryptic. I swallowed thickly as a door I was painfully familiar with came closer and closer, my vision seeming to tunnel on it. Behind it was that large, empty room closed off by glass, where Kwan had died. I was sure Vlad could hear my pounding heartbeat and the uneven breath that was making me light headed. He was gonna make me do it again. He was gonna make me watch and _fail _to save an innocent person.

But quite suddenly, he led me away from the door, rounding a counter and stopping at the opposite end of the lab.

"Here, now jump up on the counter Daniel. This will only take a moment."

For a few confusing seconds I was struck dumb by the dramatic change of events. It took a moment for his demand to process. Vlad stared at me with a raised eyebrow, the expression not changing when I hesitantly did as he asked.

"Um...what...what exactly is 'this'?" I asked, throat still dry. A large part of me was waiting for Vlad to yell, "April fools!" and drag me to the glassed murder room.

Vlad stared at me curiously, but didn't comment on my weird behavior. He instead moved behind my sitting form, opening a drawer. When he pulled out a tray with several sharp surgical tools on it, I had to wonder if whatever alternative activity we were doing was any less awful than what I'd originally thought.

"What do you think you're doing?" The alarm in my voice was impossible to miss.

"Upgrading that collar you so frequently complain about." He replied shortly, quickly grabbing my arm before I could take off. I tried to yank it out of his grip, but he just held on tighter.

"With a _scalpel_?"

Before I could start biting, Vlad reached down from the table and opened another drawer. When he stood straight again, he had a complicated looking device no bigger than his thumb pinched between two fingers. It was, of course, very small, obviously mechanical, and had 'made-by-an-evil-villian' written all over it.

"This," Vlad all but shoved the small, spider-like device in front of my eyes. "Is essentially a smaller and less obtrusive version of your collar. I'm going to make a small incision at the base of your neck and attach it to the seventh cervical vertebrate of your spine."

He told this to me in a very matter of fact way, as though the minor surgical procedure he was planning was as simple as making a cup of tea. I couldn't stop my eye from twitching, the stress of going from a potential murder scene to this making me want to laugh for some freakishly insane reason. Vlad only glared back at my dumbstruck gape with a hard, cold look in his eyes, one that didn't faze me in the slightest.

I mean, all things considered, this was definitely better than watching someone die again.

A sick little smirk managed to wriggle on my face as I gave a jerky shrug and nodded, turning around without further argument. Vlad's grip on my arm loosened considerably, stilling for a moment and conveying clear confusion at my complacency. A bubble of something like laughter was trying to rise out of my throat, but I figured I looked insane enough already so I shoved it down. Vlad waited a few more seconds before gently letting go of my arm. I listened with a strange calmness as he removed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves, silently and secretly enjoying the relief that I wouldn't have to fail anyone today.

Vlad removed my shirt and the collar, tipping my head forward and rubbing an alcohol pad around the area where he'd make the incision. Not a word was exchanged between us, but the silence wasn't hostile like usual. It just...was. I think Vlad's silence was more cause he was throughly confused over my sudden mood change, though. The cool liquid sterilized my skin and seeped into the pores, still not bringing the appropriate fear I knew I should be feeling. Not even when the tell tale snap of latex gloves sounded from behind me, followed by the quite chink of metal, did my heart quicken. I did notice the lack of a numbing shot though, which gave me a clue as to what Vlad was feeling under all that confusion. He was obviously still bitter about _something _I'd done, and it wasn't hard to figure out what. In fact, at this point there was really only one thing I could reflect on as Vlad placed the chilly scalpel against my skin.

He was still pissed about what happened in the study yesterday.

"OW! _Mother fu-_!"

"Stop squirming. You're fine."

I tried to grit back any more sounds, jaw popping as Vlad widened the laceration and dug around the base of my neck with all the gentleness of a lumberjack. The counter I was currently gripping slowly bent under my fingers. I tried to focus on that rather than the cold metal prongs holding the incision open, lighting my nerves up like fire. Vlad didn't say a word as he inserted the small, spidery device, holding one of my trembling shoulders to keep me still. Still better than watching someone die.

"Almost done, Daniel." He murmured, to which I didn't respond.

The little device felt wrong and foreign under my skin. He maneuvered it around until I felt it touch bone, biting the inside of my cheek to keep any wince of pain inside and tasting blood. But when he did something to active the little machine and it clamped down on my vertebrate, I couldn't quite hold back a scream. My entire spine spasmed with that prickly feeling you get when your leg falls asleep, combined with a burning stab emanating from the base of my neck. The inappropriate calm I had felt quickly disappeared when it suddenly occurred to me that I really had no idea what Vlad was putting inside of me. It could be anything and I was just sitting here, letting him do it. I mulled on that terrifying thought, breathing heavily as Vlad quickly wrapped up the procedure. I felt a needle, then stitches, followed by the rough motion of thread sliding through flesh.

"Vlad, is...is this really just a smaller version of that collar?"

"Yes, Daniel."

I flinched when he tugged on the stitches. Vlad didn't say anything more on the matter, silence falling between us save for my muffled winces. My stomach with flip-flopping with anxiety again, but luckily it was bearable.

"I don't believe you."

"I expected nothing less."

That was the extent of the conversation. The pain was slowly dying down to an irritable twinge, though a constant ache from where the little machine was resting couldn't be ignored. Vlad cleaned the wound and put a bandage over the stitches, returning my shirt to me as well. I silently put it on and hopped off the counter, wiping the gathered moisture away from my eyes and wondering what the hell I just let Vlad do to me.

We returned to the world above, silent and distant as ever. He kept his hand on my shoulder, careful not to touch the stitches. I followed as he led us to the dining room and everything returned to normal, minus my own frantic thoughts. Obviously Ghostwriter wasn't going to tell Vlad about the little incident that occurred today, or was he planning on hanging it over my head for his own vicious amusement? Sounds like something that bastard would do. And that little device under my skin...it could be anything. Vlad could probably kill me with the push of a button and I wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to stop him. The man in question was the epitome of calm and collected as we took our seats in the dining room. He saw nothing out of the ordinary about sewing random machines under my skin and then refusing to explain them, like I was just a piece of property.

I sat several seats away from the fruitloop today, feeling particularly jaded. Vlad made no motion that he noticed or cared, which was fine by me. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I barely realized my seat was facing the swinging kitchen doors, and it wasn't until the kitchen staff came out to serve the food that the most important part of last night slammed into my head like a glorious, saving light.

Elysia walked out of the kitchen doors with a silver domed platter, looking pale, terrified, and determined. I stared at her like a deer in the headlights, chancing a glance at Vlad who was thankfully wrapped up with something on his handheld. He didn't even acknowledge her entrance. An older chef, maybe somewhere in his late fifties, was bringing Vlad his food at the other end of the table. I didn't miss how he took his sweet time to serve the food, or how he glanced at me from the corner of his eye so fast I nearly missed it. He looked nervous too.

Elysia set the plate down in front of me, looking pointedly at her hand wrapped around the edge of the silver. I looked down carefully, immediately noticing the corner of a note sticking out from under the platter. I glanced at the other chef just as he awkwardly leaned in front of Vlad, blocking his line of sight. Immediately I understood and grabbed the note, sticking it in my pocket while my heart beat a mile a minute. Elysia grasped my frozen hand for barely a second and quickly returned to the kitchens, looking back through the small circular window and flashing me a quick smile.

"Excuse you." Vlad's cold and irritated voice came from the head of the table.

I spun around as the older chef quickly backed off and spewed out apologies for his intrusion, bowing away from the aggravated tyrant. Vlad looked at him like he was nothing more than the dirt under his shoe, dismissing the man without a word and returning to his work. He never once looked at me, but the older chef did. Despite the enormous risk he'd just taken, the man winked at me and silently returned to the kitchens, leaving me struck dumb by what just happened.

I was still waiting to get caught, breathing shallowly as I fingered the paper burning a hole in my pocket. I shoved it down farther, knowing I wouldn't be the only one to suffer consequences should Vlad somehow discover it. I just had to act normal. That's all I had to do.

"Ghostwriter tells me you've been making significant progress over the past few weeks. The monthly report he gave to me today certainly proves that."

I jumped, snapping my attention to Vlad. He looked at me curiously as I realized he was just making an offhand comment, trying to start conversation again. I shrugged and averted my eyes back to the untouched food, not taking his words as a compliment when they finally processed. After all, I'm not exactly allowed to _not _make progress. At least the mystery of the mysterious paper was solved, though. Vlad looked at me for a few more seconds and then returned to his handheld. I pushed the food around on my plate, pointedly not looking at him. Silence stretched on as I slowly ate, waiting for Vlad to try talking again. He didn't bother though, seeming to consider me apart of the décor once again. As usual, the food was superb, but lunch was an awful affair, and I desperately, desperately wanted to go home.

Eventually, Vlad decided lunch was over. I followed him out of the dining room, glancing back to the swinging doors but seeing no one there. My thoughts were consumed with Elysia and the mysterious note in my pocket, itching to get to the one place where I knew I could be alone for more than thirty seconds. Vlad was still disturbingly quiet, but I was too preoccupied to care anymore. Soon enough we arrived at the training halls, and he was about to lead me through yet another odd colored door before I stopped him.

"I gotta go to the bathroom."

He sighed.

"Make it quick."

Nodding, I spun around and practically flew through the door to the personal locker room, immediately ripping the note out of my pocket once I was safe behind closed doors.

_Danny-_

_ I just wanted to let you know that I wasn't kidding about what I said last night. I know it's gonna be hard, but we'll find a way to get you out of here. Keep your chin up, kiddo!_

The note was very short, but that didn't make the bubble of hope in my chest any smaller. I reread it four or five times, savoring every word because every word felt like the promise of freedom. Elysia left the note unsigned, which was for the best. Despite my lurking uncertainty, I couldn't contain the true, honest grin that spread wide across my face, feeling lighter than I had in _days. _

To be completely honest, I still wasn't quite sure what to think about this girl. She came out of no where, and with no other reason than because she wants to, she's willing to risk her life to help me. It's irrational to the core, completely altruistic, totally against everything Vlad is trying to shove down my throat, and I'll never be able to thank her enough for it. I don't even care that a simple, three sentence note is all it takes to make the sun shine in what's become my miserable excuse of a life. Seeing tangible words from someone who cares makes the black ball in my chest just a little smaller, and that means more to me than I'll ever be able to express to her.

I glanced around quickly and stashed the folded letter in the most inconspicuous locker I could find. It scared me to leave such compromising evidence in such a poorly hidden spot, but I had no other choice. As far as I know, I'm the only one who comes in here, making it the most ideal spot to hide the things I don't want Vlad to see. Stomach flipping with both paranoia and elation, I returned to the hallway where he was impatiently tapping his foot. But apparently I didn't realize my elation surpassed my paranoia because the fruitloop gave me a funny look when I reached his side.

"What are you so happy about?" He asked suspiciously.

Surprisingly enough and despite the skip in my heartbeat, the lie flowed easily from my lips. Even _more _surprisingly, Vlad fell for it too. I wasn't entirely sure if I should be happy or disturbed.

"Training, duh. I'm looking forward to imagining your face superimposed over all the targets."

"How charming."

The lightness in my chest turned into a visible smirk as I throughly enjoyed the irritated look on Vlad's face. In all honesty, that wasn't a _total _lie. I actually do imagine Vlad's face over all the targets. Granted, it's been a little difficult since he upgraded the flying disks to mutant monsters, but I still manage to misplace my aggression well enough.

"We'll be doing the same exercise as yesterday, but I want you to focus more on strategy and tactics." he announced, opening the inactive melee room. A chilly, unnatural draft snaked from the darkness and ran up my spine, even though there weren't any windows. The air smelled pretty bad too, like rotting dead things and stagnant water.

See, the fruitloop has been complaining about my less than excellent combat skills, so he got rid of all the targets that didn't attack back. Now I'm faced off against never ending swarms of these grotesque soldiers he's created. They aren't like the ones that busted down my family's living room door so long ago, but they're similar. These creatures are more...formed, I guess. Vicious, would be the best term to apply. I think Vlad's been playing with mutation again like the nutty screw ball he is, trying to make his monsters more and more challenging for me. And by challenging I mean blood thirsty.

"Oh and Daniel," Vlad drawled, snagging my attention with his seemingly offhand comment. I met his cold eyes as he looked down at me, the meanest of smirks briefly twitching his lip up.

"Don't loose."

My face melded into a glare, but a determined one. I didn't acknowledge that I heard his demand, walking into the room and swiftly shutting the door in his face. Vlad demanded perfection from me, and more often than not I actually delivered. But not for him. Oh, definitely not for _him_. No, this training was for _me_.

I listened to the room whine awake as he turned the lights on, relieving me from the inky darkness I'd been stewing in. The room was huge, going up at least five stories and as wide as a professional basketball arena. Somewhere up above, he was looking down at me from the bridge of his nose, observing as usual. I waited, twitching in surprise as the sudden feel of my ghost core returned. The collar had always kept it shut off like a light switch, letting me know when I could and couldn't access them. Figuring the new chip in my spine was doing the same thing, I dismissed it. I had more important things to think about anyway, my determination and focus more incensed thanks to Elysia's note. No longer were there erratic thumps of fear beating in my chest, or a tense anxiousness as I waited for the first monster to attack. All that had passed by the second day, the grit of an actual _fight _erasing any anxieties. This was undoubtedly my favorite part of the day, if only because I could so easily loose myself to the thrill of it.

I'd never admit to that last part, though.

Black and green slime was pooled around the edges of the room, emanating the foul smell. It began to froth and bubble as the monsters within came alive. I took a deep breath, erasing all the thoughts in my head and letting a grim smile sneak onto my face. Light flashed as I released my ghost form, immediately energized by the rush of power. It ran through me like a force of water, washing out all the pains and burdens of being human, muffling them into something that could be blissfully forgotten.

The bubbling mess surrounding me was starting to churn into shapes. A loud splat sounded from my right as a long strand suddenly shot out from the pool. Clawed fingers and a gnarled arm began to form, dragging the rest of a misshaped body out of the sludge. I turned to my first opponent, careful to keep an eye on the other bubbling corners. The dysmorphic mass in front of me expanded into a sunken torso, its head rolling on the ground and struggling to hold itself up. Another splat alerted me to a second opponent, but at this rate it'd be noon before they actually managed to put themselves together and give me a challenge. These things are like cars in the winter, always takes a few minutes for 'em to put themselves together. I sighed.

Ugly number one was finally starting to get enough gunk on its limbs to stand, though it was more like hunching. I remember the first time Vlad threw me in this room, the horror I had felt as a creature straight out of a nightmare had formed before me. The sight paralyzed me on the spot, and I'd nearly paid for my fear with my life. I didn't make that mistake again.

The thing turned its bald little head towards me, immediately honing in on my ecto-signature. I watched it stumble forward, staring with sunken, empty eye sockets that somehow still managed to see. It's body was completely twisted into a grotesque imitation of the human form, with a starved looking chest and bone thin legs that still had enough power to leap into the air. It flexed it's knife-like fingers, growling mindlessly as slime dripped from an open maw and slipped between long, jagged teeth. I grimaced when it let out a harrowing howl, dropping to all fours with unnaturally long arms and deciding to run at me like an animal.

Alright, Fenton. Go time.

Balancing on the balls of my feet, I waited for the perfect moment to strike and then ducked, landing an ecto charged punch to the beast's midsection. It flew across the room, slamming into the wall and sliding down into the churning goo where it would be recycled into another opponent. Another guttural growl alerted me to my second strike, spinning around just in time to land a kick against the head of Ugly number 2. It rolled away but was right back up again, running at me on all fours and getting ready to pounce. I charged my hands, letting loose a single attack that sent him back to the pool he'd crawled out off.

By now more monsters were forming, the frothy mess bubbling with shrieks and growls. At least six had already honed into my signature and were preparing to attack. I quickly split into a single copy, standing back to back with it and preparing for a very long, much needed battle.

"Come on!" I growled, and the monsters immediately responded.

From my side of the fight, three of them rushed at me, running on two legs this time. Their claws were poised to take my head off should I give them a chance, barred teeth gnashing with animalistic rage. I didn't think when I attacked. Vlad's spent the past god knows how long beating instinctual combat into me, training me so that my reactions and attacks would be simultaneous. He told me such skill would help keep me alive, and the fruitloop wasn't kidding. My arm reached out and grabbed the nearest limb the first monster swung at me, fingers digging into what I imagined rotted flesh would feel like. I threw the creature into its brethren, shooting them with a two handed blast that returned them to the goo.

On the other side, my clone quickly eliminated it's opponents, but there wasn't time to pause for either of us. More monsters were attacking, two of them attempting to bite my legs. I stepped on one's face, crushing the weakly formed skull with a sickening crunch that shouldn't have been nearly as satisfying as it felt. The other one got a swift kick in the face, falling into another creature that was flailing it's claws at me. I ducked and dodged the attacks from two more, shooting my hands out and letting loose twin ectoblasts that forced them away. Immediately I formed a long whip, alighting it with green fire before swinging at a wall of six monsters. Oddly flammable, they caught fire, but collapsed to the ground in an equally dead heap.

My clone formed a large shield and forced it back, taking a wall of monsters with it and flattening them against the far wall. More creatures took their place, pulling themselves from the green and black pool with enraged howls. I snapped my whip at one, binding it and throwing it against three more. They fell to the ground in a pile, two more beasts crawling over them without thought. Ectoblasts were flying through the air, my clone and I slowly rotating in an effort to keep them all at bay. Eventually Vlad would activate the obstacle level of the room, with blocks and platforms that would randomly jut out of the walls and floors. Those were particularly irritating.

My strength didn't tire out like it used to, able to go on for over an hour if I limited my attacks to shields and ectoblasts. But where was the fun in that? Ice coated the entire floor as my clone and I created our own personal ice rink. The cold element wouldn't form over the bubbling pools thanks to the heated sludge, but that was okay. It was funny to watch the skeletal monsters flail and fall on their faces. I absorbed my clone, not needing any help to pick off the easy targets. With a grin I formed ice around my boots, languidly sliding on the rink as twin jagged swords attached to my hands. Powered by the propulsion used in flight, I shot around the ice in a smooth circle, sending the floundering creatures to the floor with well aimed strikes.

More crawled onto the ice, forming claws on their feet to adapt to their new environment. I moved swiftly, loving the fluid feel of my attacks as I figure-eighted my way to each enemy. They had a better grip on the ice, but I was faster. I had to dodge them from the air when they started jumping at me. Well aimed ectoblasts mostly took care of that, though I had to loose one of my swords for it. This skating tactic went on for a good while, keeping my endurance down as it didn't take much work to skate around on ice.

Eventually, after I was well consumed with battle, the ice started to hiss and crack. Narrowed eyes caught the dark ring of sludge expanding, sliding further inland and melting the ice as it seeped underneath. A heavy mechanical sound came from within the walls, and I knew what was coming next.

Obstacles.

Melting away my ice boots and sword, I jumped into the air and hovered. The ice broke apart and disappeared into nothing while the once puddle of goo became a veritable pond that covered the entire floor. Well this was new. It frothed angrily, sliding up the walls as creatures pulled themselves out vertically. Platforms slid out of the walls, changing the layout of the room to something unfamiliar. The obstacles are different every time, allowing for better practice, as Vlad says. This time two pillars jutted out from the wall and went all the way across the room, creating a bridge of sorts. I honestly have no idea how the hell Vlad manages to fit all of this fancy stuff into these rooms, but it's not my job to question. It's my job to adapt and fight.

Lowering to one of the newly formed cylinder-bridges, I quickly stood in the middle and formed another clone. We stood back to back again, rapidly shooting ectoblasts along the walls and picking off monsters like flies. The fact that my clone, a direct reflection of myself, was covered from head to toe in putrid, black-green blood didn't even register.

There were more than usual, making me feel the tiniest bit nervous for the first time since entering the room. What was once a crowd had become a swarm, crawling up the walls in droves and coming at me from each end of the pillar. My clone and I attacked furiously, keeping them at bay as long as possible with shields and ectoblasts. I lost attention to the rest of the room though, so focused on keeping the monsters in front of me away. That was my first mistake.

Apparently they'd been crawling under the pillar as well, like cockroaches. One of them swung up from my left without warning, and I just barely managed to duck and avoid it. My clone wasn't so lucky though, tumbling over the edge of the pillar with a shout. I quickly reabsorbed it and jumped into the air, landing on a higher platform and feeling my heart pound against my chest. The worst mistake I could make would be to get caught in the sludge down below. There's no getting out of that once you're in because the monsters don't let you.

I watched them shriek and howl at me from my elevated perch, already turning around and rushing to my new position. They were revolting, crawling like insects and motivated by nothing more than a savage instinctual need to feed. The fact that my ectosignature was the only food they desired was a nice touch, or at least Vlad thought so.

Standing, I shot at the nearest beasts with a frown on my face. They weren't slowing down at the bottom of the pool, more and more dragging themselves up from the muck. Vlad wanted me to think up a new tactic, probably use my wail, do attacks that would take out large numbers at once. But that would quickly drain my energy, and then what? I'd be a sitting duck.

Regardless, I concentrated on splitting myself into four and sent each clone to a different corner of the room. The monsters split, an even amount going for each copy. I jumped closer to the swarm heading my way and stood on the wall, defying gravity and going horizontal. They crawled at me in a frenzied scrabble, black tongues hanging from open maws and slime still dripping down their ugly faces. For the brief seconds I had, as I looked at the mindless onslaught I couldn't avoid, I noticed all the blood dripping down my own limbs. There was so much of it, to the point where I barely recognized my own body. The thrill rushed out for a moment, a weary homesickness setting in at the worst of times as I wondered what my friends and family would think if-

One of my clones screamed from across the room. I snapped my head to his direction, jumping away from the oncoming horde to buy time. With a sickening lurch I watched as a monster gnawed on my clone's arm, on _my _arm. Immediately I refocused all my energy into the connection with my clones, watching him reacted swiftly and stab the thing in the head with a blade formed of ecto-energy. It immediately cried out in pain, allowing my clone to jump away and get his bearings again before resuming the fight.

"Dammit!" I growled, facing the horde with renewed fire and mentally berating myself for such idiocy. I couldn't let my mind wander. I couldn't loose focus and let myself think of anything but the fight. Every thought, _every thought_, had to be about the next move or my clones would fail and I would die.

With a fury that was almost foreign, I stopping waiting for them to come to me. An ectosword formed in one hand as I slammed a shield into the advancing swarm with another. At least fifty crashed to the ground below, twice as much scurrying around the shield to rush at me still. I didn't think, only acted. Monster after monster, they reared up and I sent them to the ground with a swift slash. Plunging the sizzling weapon into their stomachs, lopping off limb after head after limb, I became as mindless as them without even realizing it. But I couldn't be anything else, not with the sheer amount of numbers they had.

Using two shields, I forced them back long enough to look at the state of my clones. They were worse off than I, my disrupted focus having made them less effective. Even from this distance I could see that a couple had sustained serious looking injuries. This strategy wasn't working. At this rate the creatures were going to overpower us. Sending a final wave of energy at my surge below, I reabsorbed the clones and flew to higher ground again. The returned energy was less than I'd hoped for, but I didn't let that deter me. I still had plenty of stamina and no serious injuries myself.

The monsters who had been fighting my clones clambered around in disarray for a moment, quickly relocating my signature and joining the group already scrambling towards me. I stood from the platform I was on and shot a machine gun-like array of ectoblasts, trying to buy time as I thought of a better idea. I wasn't sure how long I'd been in here so far, and there was no telling when Vlad would decide I'd practiced enough, so using my wail was out of the question. I had to think of a way to contain them all without depleting my energy.

Brows furrowed, I jumped in the air and split into four again, this time using my clones to cover more ground as I shot an icy blast at the wall-full of creatures. They shrieked, some of them flailing against the cold and falling to the ground while most became ice sculptures. I had to dodge the few daring creatures that attempted to jump off the wall and knock my clones and I out of the air. Soon the wall was covered with either frozen or partially frozen ice monsters, but either way they were stuck and not moving...except for the newly formed ones coming out of the pool, of course.

"Fuck, this isn't gonna work." I muttered, reabsorbing my clones and feeling distressingly out of breath. I didn't have the energy to freeze swarm after swarm forever, and already some were breaking out of their half frozen states and joining the ones fresh from the sludge. I needed-

A loud mechanical whirling sound echoed from every corner. I looked around in alarm as the room shifted, platforms reabsorbing into the walls for new ones to take their place. The cylinder bridges retracted and a single plank board stretched out to the middle of the room. Then more planks extended up to the ceiling in a radial pattern, and all I could see was several perfect spots for crawling monsters to jump off and land on my shoulders. Perfect.

Cursing Vlad, I started shooting at the monsters again. I tried to warp around the room to throw them off, but I wasn't very good at that ability yet and decided to stop when I nearly warped myself right in the middle of the horde. So instead I flew to the highest spot in the room, looking down five flights of a swarming nightmare. Panic was starting to cloud my head as they got closer and closer. I couldn't even hold them back with shields and ectoblasts anymore. There was so _many. _My body was becoming more fatigued with every shot, eyes darting around the room as creatures crawled out from under planks as well. God, I hope there wasn't any underneath of me again.

There was nothing else I could do. Vlad obviously wanted me to use my ghostly wail and at this point I couldn't think of anything else anyway. The only plan my desperate brain could think up in the ten seconds it had was a stupid one, but I went for it anyway. I gathered every last remaining drop of strength in my body like I never had before, all the panic and fear and desperation, everything I had, and channeled it into a rib rumbling growl that inflated my chest and made my lungs burn like fire. Then, I let it all out.

The entire room shook like I was the focal point of an earthquake. Nothing could be heard above the deafening howl that emanated from my throat, not even the shrieks from the hundreds of melting monsters below. In fact, I couldn't hear them at all. Each pounding sound wave took a piece of me with it, siphoning my power away with every vibration. I fell to my knees, gripping the edge of the plank and screaming all the way down to the pool below. I poured everything I had into the attack, desperate to crack the floor or break the room or _something_, just to get rid of that pool where the monsters wouldn't stop coming from.

Finally, when my lungs began to shrivel up and my chest felt like it was caving in on itself, a last wail ripped from my throat. Next thing I knew my face was pressed against the cool metal plank, panting for oxygen and utterly human. The roaring echo clamored around the room as I held my spinning head, heart pounding hollowly. My limbs were equally unresponsive, pure exhaustion weighing them down. The dull ringing in my ears slowly faded with the echo, nothing but the creaking groans of battered equipment taking its place. There were no howling shrieks or thick, boggy bubbling. I dragged myself to the edge of the plank I'd collapsed on, peering over the edge because I had to be sure.

All the planks below were broken, the great slabs of metal shoved down like someone had tried to bend them into the walls. Black cracks ran up from the smoking floor, running a couple stories high in some cases. The pool was mostly gone, the destroyed floor stained a putrid blackish brown color. Of the smoking residue that remained, I could see a couple puddles bubbling pathetically, but nothing came out. There wasn't a single sign of a mutated monster either, not even any remains. They were all just...gone.

"_Very_ good, Daniel." Vlad's voice suddenly sounded over the intercom, coming from everywhere. "It took a while to coax that attack out of you, but it was certainly worth the wait."

He sounded impressed; triumphant too, the bastard. At the moment though, I couldn't really manage to care. I was utterly spent, still wheezing like I'd just run a twenty mile marathon and all two hundred and six bones feeling twice as heavy as they should. My throat was really really sore too, which was rather alarming.

An aching groan came from within the damaged walls and the platform I was passed out on suddenly retracted, taking me with it. I couldn't manage much except for an irritated groan of my own, just the thought of trying to transform leaving me on the verge of unconsciousness. Vlad had to know that there was no way I could sustain my ghost form right now, and if he didn't, well he was about to watch his precious half-ghost apprentice become a _real _ghost. I knew I wasn't that lucky though. So, when it came time to sink or swim, I sank to the bottom of five stories and landed in a pair of arms that were all too ready for me.

Vlad's chuckle came from somewhere beyond my closed eyes.

"A little too confident that I would catch you, don't you think?"

"Oh please, you wouldn't let me die. You're not that nice."

I peaked an eye open to see him casting me a smirk, the pupiless red eyes of Plasmius glittering with amusement and pride.

"You did very well today, little badger. Managing to decimate a ghost proof room is quite an accomplishment."

"Not like I had much of a choice. There must have been an entire army of those things..." I winced, wiggling uncomfortably in his grip. He didn't let me go.

"Well I did program the nanobots to assimilate and form at a rate of fifteen creatures per minute, and you were in there for about two and a half hours so that puts the number at well over two thousand opponents. You in fact _did _take out an entire army."

I stopped wriggling and stared up at Vlad with wide eyes. He didn't break out into a mean sneer at my expense, which meant he wasn't joking. I could hardly believe it though. Two thousand? I single handedly defeated _two thousand monsters_? Well that explained all the pride in Vlad's eyes. Dumbfounded, I looked around the massive and destroyed room with a whole new appreciation, sudden acknowledgment of the feat I'd accomplished overwhelming me. This was _proof_ that I wasn't what everybody thought I was. I may not be able to stop Ghostwriter from corrupting my brain, or Vlad from corrupting my body, but I wasn't _weak_. I was still strong, still _powerful_, still _Danny Phantom_. Or at least part of me was.

The refreshing feeling of pride, so painfully unfamiliar, put a smile on my face. Vlad still didn't put me down as we left the broken melee room, but I refused to let that taint the swell within my chest. My ghost powers were probably the only thing left of me that I could be proud of, and today, I had a feeling I could look myself in the mirror for the first time in a long time. Nothing could take that away, not Vlad, not Ghostwriter, and certainly not the ball of blackness in my chest.

We traveled through halls and up stairways until a cozy little den opened before us. It was one I didn't recognize, but I haven't seen half the rooms in this stuffed up mansion so that didn't faze me. No, what fazed me was the fact that Vlad was apparently satisfied with a mere two and a half hour training session. I'd fully expected him to give me some weird, glowing ghost energizer to replenish my lost energy and then thrust me back into the usual swing of things. I've never had a training session that didn't run until at least six in the evening, and it was barely four o'clock. What the hell was he planning on doing for the next two hours?

I sincerely hoped it wasn't what I was dreading.

"Rest easy, little badger. I know that attack took a lot out of you." Vlad set me down on a long sofa, placing his lips to my forehead before moving to a miniature bar set tastefully into the décor.

"It, um, well it didn't take a _whole_ lotout of me." I lied feebly, growing increasingly uncomfortable as I noticed how prison like the window-less den really was. "I mean I could keep training, actually. I'm feeling a lot better."

Naturally, the nice rasp I'd been successfully keeping down reared up and caught in my bruised throat, triggering a painful coughing fit. Vlad watched with a smirk as I spasmed, any and all future arguments from me officially rendered invalid.

"Yes, you certainly sound like it." he drawled, returning from the mini-bar with a cup of steaming something. I noticed he was only carrying one.

Vlad picked up the throw blanket draped along the back of the couch as he walked around the piece of furniture. I watched him get comfortable in the cushions, hesitating only slightly when he motioned for me to come closer. His arm fell around my shoulders, leaning me into him, and Vlad threw the blanket over my admittedly cold body. Then he released a blast of pink flame into the monstrous fireplace, igniting the room with instant warmth as orange whips rose from the explosion.

"Drink this." He ordered. "It will help replenish your lost energy faster and hopefully sooth your throat."

Because there was no doubt in my mind that Vlad would try to poison me at this point, I took the cup without complaint and quietly sipped the warm drink. It was surprisingly minty, chilling the raw tissue of my throat just as he said. Vlad watched with a content expression, gently running his fingers through my hair.

"I think we're going to start fine tuning that wail of yours." He spoke up after a long pause, tone thoughtful. "It's too versatile an attack to keep as a last resort."

I really wanted to ignore him for the sake of being difficult, but I'd be lying if I said that last remark didn't spark my interest.

"Versatile?"

"Mhm. Think about it little badger. Your wail is effectively channeled ghost energy exercised through the vocal cords and transformed into raw power. Who else has a power similar to that?"

It didn't take long to get who he was alluding to. My eyes widened with the realization, feeling stupid that I'd never noticed the obvious similarities before.

"Ember?" I breathed, blinking. "But her's is different, she uses that guitar too."

"True, Miss McLain does use an outside apparatus to enhance her power, but she is still able to control and influence weaker minds with her voice alone. Ideally, you should be able to do the same as well, albeit without singing."

My immediate thought was something along the lines of "why the hell would I want to be able to do that?" But then I remembered who I was talking to and my current situation.

"Oh..." I said hesitantly, turning back to the cracking fire with a frown. Vlad didn't miss my reluctance.

"Relax Daniel. I expect it will be at least a couple years before you're able to use your voice to manipulate others, and by then you'll be able to truly appreciate the ability. Such a skill requires a certain level finesse that you simply aren't ready for yet. For starters, you need to master using your wail without depleting all of your energy."

I remained quit, having about ten different problems with the first part of what he just said. He sounded so disturbingly confident that it scared me a little, made me think that maybe it wasn't just fruitloop talk. After all, he _has _accomplished taking over the world, and I had always thought his talk about world domination was crazy nonsense. The cold hard truth remained that at the rate my life was going, I really had no idea where I'd be in two years. I sincerely hoped it wouldn't-had a sinking feeling that it would-be with him. A near overwhelming sense of hopelessness radiated from the black ball consuming my chest, terrifying in its absolution. I had to force myself to think of Elysia, and the little note sitting down in the locker room, and of my friends and family who needed me. They were a tangible reason of why I couldn't let Vlad get to me, and I clung to them desperately.

"I'm not gonna be here in two years." I muttered, determinedly mutinous.

Vlad's gentle hand in my hair stilled, turning ominous when his nails scratched my scalp too hard. An inkling of fear stirred in the pit of my stomach, but I thought of Elysia's fortitude and squelched it. If she could fight despite the fear then so could I.

"Ah that's right." he chuckled, not an ounce of humor in the laugh. "We'll be all the way across the Pacific by then, won't we?"

I could have let the matter drop there, but then I thought of Sam and Tucker and how I'd be doing them a disservice if I did.

"No," I said cooly, "I _won't_. I'll be out of this mess and you'll be rotting in the bottom of a Fenton therm-"

SMACK!

Vlad's hand came out of nowhere and backhanded me across the face, sending the cup of tea flying. The hit was hard, throwing my body to one side from the force of it. I could feel the imprint of his hand glowing angrily on my face, burning just as badly as my wounded pride. Neither of us spoke for a moment as all the faked amiability was appropriately shattered.

"That wasn't very polite, little badger." Vlad said in a dangerously quiet voice. "You should apologize."

"Fuck you."

In one swift move he had my arms twisted behind my back and my head shoved down between my knees, pushing and stretching the muscles painfully. The hatred and indignation burning inside commingled, mutating into that ever-constant anger as I clenched my fists and struggled against the hold. Vlad is always telling me to control my temper, but every day I feel like the effort is breaking me into little, tiny, unrecognizable pieces. Maybe that's why I have such a hard time with it.

"Why," he began with an airy sigh, progressively forcing my stressed limbs higher and higher with each word. "do you _insist-_" I screamed when he yanked them past the point of natural. "-on pointless belligerence?"

Pain engulfed my shoulders, triggering a paralyzing panic that smothered my growing temper like a wet blanket.

"Y-you're breaking my arm!"

He ignored me, shoving my head down farther until it was hard to breathe.

"Here I was hoping to have a nice, relaxing break-_generously_ allowing _you_ a break-and instead you'd rather throw tantrums like a child. Tsk, Tsk, Daniel."

Vlad held me there as I choked down aching groans, praying he'd let go of my arms before they snapped. My face was pressed against the plush cushions, burning red from the blood rush. Mounting pain ate away at my will to fight, but I refused to stop with the ever constant thought of my friends and family running through my head. I could resist if I kept telling myself that they were worth this pain, that they'd be proud of me for not giving in.

"Are you ready to behave, Daniel?" he cooed, just barely applying more pressure that nearly had me screaming again.

An aching groan crawled out of my throat, betraying all the agony I was trying to keep inside. I didn't say a word, not even when Vlad pushed my arms higher and higher and I was sure they were about to crack in half. Would he really break my arms? I heard him make a growl of frustration before he threw me to the floor, standing from the couch and towering over my crippled form.

"You are trying my patience, boy." He glared, taking one step forward and picking me up by my hair.

I very nearly spit in his face, but fear wouldn't let me go that far. I only glared back with equal fury, making it clear with my silence that I wasn't about to give him what he wanted. Vlad clenched his teeth, a terrifying expression of rage flashing across his eyes before he smacked the opposite side of my face. I fell to the floor and before I could get up, Vlad kicked me onto my back and planted a fist in my left eye.

"I wish you wouldn't make me do this, Daniel." he sighed, voice cold as ice.

"I'm not making you do anything, you psycho!" I snapped, cradling the black eye I could feel forming and trying to ignore the thumps of fear in my chest.

"See, it worries me when you say things like that." Vlad grabbed the cuff of my shirt, tossing me back on the couch and holding me down with a knee pressed against my chest. "I'm afraid you're missing the entire lesson here."

"_What _lesson?"

Vlad chuckled mournfully, a glint of ire still remaining in his eyes as he looked down at me. He was suddenly too close to my face, holding me still with an iron grip on my jaw and his full weight suffocating my chest.

"The lesson," he hissed, dread sitting in my stomach like a rock when his knee slid to the right and he was suddenly straddling me. "that no matter how much you fight, your family isn't coming to save you from the consequences."

His words, whispered so harshly into my ear, twisted and writhed like all the bugs I could already feel crawling up my skin. I struggled and thrashed, squeezing my eyes shut tight because I didn't want to see anything that was going to happen next.

"Yes they will." I whispered, a voice in my head screaming at me to shut up. "M-maybe not this time, but they will..."

Vlad chuckled, a low, empty sound that echoed with nothing but dripping patronization.

"Stop lying to yourself, little badger. It's been over a _month_ and I haven't had to use a single defense to stop intruders from infiltrating my mansion. The portal is wide open, and I've even commanded the _Fenton _Portal be left undisturbed. If your family hasn't come for you yet then it's clear they consider you as much of a monster as me, and if they eventually _do _come, it won't be to save _you. _They'll only be coming to take care of _me._"

Every single word hit me like a blow to the gut. I didn't want to believe him, but they sat in my head like a haunting specter, taunting me with the cold hard fact that they made logical sense. Why hadn't they at least _tried _to save me? I squirmed when he settled his full weight on my midsection, recoiling when he stroked my face.

"You still owe me that apology, little badger."

They way he said it was ominous, like this was the last chance I had. A large part of me wanted to say it so badly, but every time I tried to get the acidic words to cross my tongue, the faces of my family and friends would still hold me back. They'd never want me to give in to Vlad, right? No matter what he does, or says, or the _lies _he tried to _shove into my head_, they'd want me to fight.

...Wouldn't they?

Besides, he's already used me so much that it's not like one more screw will change anything.

"You always insist on doing things the hard way, don't you?" he asked quietly, shaking his head.

Despair and dread curled together like a dying bug in my stomach, even as I steeled myself for what was about to happen. Shame was already reaching it's long gnarled fingers up my torso, staining my body with its black touch and echoed in the way Vlad ran his hands over my body. At least there was the small consolation that I had stood up for my friends and family. The tiny comfort led me to believe that I might somehow deserve to be rescued, that I might be entitled to some semblance of redemption after this.

Or was it too late for me?

The hand on my waist snaked up and grabbed my hair. I winced as Vlad pulled me up by the locks on my head, ignoring my pained grunts and squirming. The dread solidified as his lips moved against my ear, erupting goosebumps all down my arms.

"I know why you insist on always being difficult, little badger." His hot whisper wormed into my head like a snake, the tongue that followed making me bite down a pained moan. Oh god, not this...

He twisted my head around and shoved his tongue in my mouth, eliciting a startled yelp. I squeezed my eyes shut as his lips bruised mine, the rough kiss driven by nothing but a desire to dominate. Vlad shifted and dragged one of my legs over his hip, keeping a possessive grip on it as he forced my head back and bit down on my neck. Teeth split the skin, a pained cry escaping my strangled throat as I thrashed. I could feel him getting hard as he laid claim on my body, breath quickening right on schedule.

Then, out of nowhere, Vlad broke the usual order of things and shoved me to the floor. I had no time to get my bearings before his hand was back in my hair, dragging me toward the couch again. He dropped me to my knees in front of him, between his open legs, and I got an awful feeling in my chest.

Vlad looked down at me with a cold grin, laughing at my obvious confusion before leaning forward. My neck was stretched uncomfortably far as he pulled me closer, keeping me on my knees with a hand on my shoulder and then whispering what he wanted me to do.

My stomach bottomed out, a lightheaded feeling of horror spreading all the way to the end of my limbs. Vlad laughed when he caught sight of my expression, leaning back on the couch with an arrogant grin and using his grip in my hair to direct my face where it had no business going.

"Oh _fuck _no!" I spat, immediately struggling.

But bile was steadily rising in my throat, hot tears prickling the edges of my eyes because I knew Vlad always gets his way. Still, I ripped my head out of his grip with all the force I could muster, undoubtedly leaving behind a few hairs in my desperation.

"I don't think so little badger." He tutted. "You still have that apology to deliver."

I yelped when another set of hands slammed down on my shoulders and kept me on the floor. The horror and fear bleaching my brain only doubled when I looked up to see a clone of Plasmius grinning manically above. He forced my head forward, heart slamming against my ribcage as I stared at the obvious tent barely a foot from my face.

"Okay Vlad, I'm s-sorry." I croaked automatically, refusing to believe what was happening right now.

"Ah but how sorry are you Daniel? I'm afraid a simple verbal apology just won't cut it anymore." he sighed, inspecting his nails.

The anger and hatred rose to a sudden terrible high before it was gone, utterly squelched by the numb horror I couldn't escape. He was really going to make me do this.

"Vlad, please." I whispered, breath hitching when the clone shoved my face closer.

For one glorious moment I thought maybe my pleas had cracked his stone heart. Vlad's face fell into a rueful frown, the glimmer in his eyes diminished. I held my breath when the clone disappeared and he leaned forward, placing a slow and gentle kiss on my trembling lips.

"I'm sorry little badger, but you need to learn your lesson." He said, and my heart sank. "I don't know why you insist on doing this to yourself, but until you learn I can't go easy on you. Now, are you going to do as you're told or will I have to take what happened to Ghostwriter's ruler this morning the wrong way?"

I stared, wondering why I was even surprised that he knew about that after all. Vlad kissed my forehead with a doleful expression he had no right to wear, leaning back against the couch because he already knew my answer. Other than the bugs and nausea, I felt incredibly hollow, so easily beat it was embarrassing. Ghostwriter's haunting words rang distantly in the back of my mind, throwing it in my face that if I didn't care so much about other people, I wouldn't be about to loose the last shred of self-respect I had. The reality that no one was going to save me from this-or anything else, for that matter-hit hard as I stared at Vlad's erection, a hot prickling in my eyes making things blur. I was alone.

Before falling tears could make this the official lowest point in my life, I took a quiet breath and fumbled with the button of his pants, blinking the moisture away. Everything in my mind shut down and disconnected to preserve some semblance of sanity. Vlad shifted slightly as I pulled the clothing away from his standing phallus. A sickening lurch barreled past my fortified wall and threatened to overwhelm me, but before I could think too much about what I was doing, I squeezed my eyes shut and took the pulsing organ into my mouth.

Vlad tensed on a strangled moan as white-hot shame and humiliation consumed every aspect of my being. Never had I wanted to curl up and die more than I did in that moment, unable to escape the feel of my lips wrapped around his engorged length. It filled my entire mouth, scraping against the roof, my tongue, teeth, lips, _everything_. Nausea swelled like a pot boiling over, the reality that Vlad's cock was sitting on my tongue repeatedly punching me in the gut. His fingers threaded through my hair and latched with a solid grip, keeping me locked in my degrading position. I felt him pull in a silent demand to keep going, apathetic my shattering composure.

I had long since learned that people are capable of enduring a lot more than they expect when forced into traumatic situations, which explains why I managed to comply with his demand despite the crushing indignity. I moved my head up and down, breathing heavily through my nose and restraining pitiful whimpers. Vlad exhaled slowly, his head tipping back as he massaged my scalp with his fingers.

"That's a good boy..." he breathed.

My hands clenched into fists, gripping the material of Vlad's pants as I blindly moved my tongue. I had no idea what I was doing. I just wanted it to stop before I screamed or went insane. Vlad kept his grip in my hair tight, bobbing my head up and down when he wanted me to go faster. God, it was _humiliating_.

I choked on his cock, coughing and gasping for breath when he groaned and pushed himself in farther. Vlad paused only briefly, greedily demanding more with his grip. I sucked on the hot flesh, the tip scraping against the roof of my mouth and procuring a moan from the bastard above me. The tears that had been prickling my eyes were back in full force, threatening to spill over when I tasted his salty pre-cum and couldn't do anything but suck it down. Vlad moaned, pulling my hair harder and telling me to go deeper.

It was hard to breathe and it was making me panic, but Vlad didn't care. He thrust into my mouth to the point where I was nearly gagging, mortified as I coughed and spluttered around his shaft. Some panic borne instinct drove me to make an embarrassing noise that sounded like nothing but garbled nonsense because there was a man's penis in my mouth, but Vlad must have gotten the message cause he eased up so I could breathe again.

"Use your tongue, little badger." He panted, a goddam laugh in his voice like my choking was endearing.

Immediately I complied, willing to do whatever he asked so it'd be over faster. Vlad moaned when I danced around the length of his member, massaging the head of his cock with my tongue and trying not to retch. He was panting much harder now, and there was more and more of his salty fluid slipping into my mouth.

"Do that again." he demanded breathily, so I did.

I did it again and again and again and Vlad groaned every time. I moved my tongue everywhere I could think, lingering in the spots that he obviously enjoyed most. Vlad's grip alternated between loose and tight as I blindly teased him, moving my mouth faster and sucking harder even when it hurt. I could hear him making all manner of sounds above me, oblivious to my aching knees, sore throat, and withering self-respect. Vlad's cock swelled as I dragged my pressured lips up and down in a smooth rhythm, going fast and then slow and then fast again cause I knew he liked it that way.

I was rewarded with crescendoing moans, the end in sight. My eyes were still squeezed shut, keeping the overwhelming shame and anguish at bay. Vlad's grip tightened significantly when I took more into my mouth, rolling my tongue along the underside of his cock. He tensed and writhed on the couch, making movements I was all too familiar with.

They increased when I forced my ministrations near frantic, gripping his thighs and moving as fast as I could. I refused to think about anything else but making him finish, choking back the sobs hovering at the back of my throat as saliva dripped down his throbbing member. Vlad let out a sound between frustration and pleasure, suddenly forcing himself down my throat and _really _making me choke. I couldn't breathe at all as renewed panic flared up and I gagged on his cock. Vlad groaned at the sound, ignoring my suffocated thrashing and desperate attempts for freedom. It was agonizingly futile, and all I could think amidst the blinding panic was how humiliating it would be to die like this, on my knees choking on a man's dick.

A wretched sob tore past my sputtering, lost amidst the gaging as I reflexively swallow around his cock and Vlad moaned so loudly. His squirming hardened into a tense standstill before he finally lost control of himself. I coughed and cried out as the hot fluid filled my mouth, automatically trying to spit it out. But Vlad would have none of that, jerking my head with a rough yank.

"Swallow." He growled, moaning with his climax as my throat continued to spasm around his pulsing length.

He forced my head still, keeping himself lodged firmly until every drop was in my stomach. I had no choice but to gulp down his salty essence and add to the sickness that was me, revulsion churning my insides. My already bruised throat was screaming from the added abuse, aching even as Vlad finally retracted his length enough to let me breathe fully again. He still wasn't letting me go though, pulling my hair wordlessly in a demand to finish his waning orgasm.

I felt like a haunted husk of a person as I slowly sucked on Vlad's lingering erection, extinguished in every way. There didn't seem to be anything left inside of me except for his cum and a dull numbness. Fingers threaded slowly through my hair, massaging my scalp as I mechanically licked him clean like a fucking _cat_.

"Oh Daniel..." he half moaned, half sighed, trailing off like he just didn't know what to do with me.

I didn't reply, of course, too busy learning my lesson.

"Look at me." Vlad said, his demand causing a physically painful twist in my gut.

I cringed and whimpered, eyes squeezing tighter because I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye with his cock hanging out of my mouth. The sheer magnitude of the humiliation was too much, so much like that first night he forced himself inside of me. I couldn't bring myself to relive that again, despite the fact that I already _was_.

"Daniel, look at me." he repeated, a hint of a warning in his gentle tone.

My heart sank, stopping my oral ministrations as a tear finally broke through the barrier and rolled down my face. I hated myself more than I ever had before as I forced myself to look up and meet Vlad's eyes, his indifferent expression forever branded into my skull. He held my gaze until more droplets ran down my cheeks; the dead weight of shame was smothering and he was just sitting there, making me soak in it.

"Look at yourself." He said quietly, piteously. "All that fighting, and what would your family and friends think of you now?"

Agony pierced my heart, his words burrowing in my head like wriggling maggots. The tears began to fall in a steady flow, all the humiliation saturating my veins with heavy permanence. Vlad's flaccid member felt twice as thick as it sat on my tongue, the inescapable looks of disgust from my loved ones searing me with a cruel truth. The reality that I never wanted to face was that there was no redemption from this. I don't know why I ever pretended not to see it before. After everything he's done, the touching, the forcing, the violating, the sex, and now _this_. It would forever taint me, lingering as an ever present blot that couldn't be hidden. I would never be able to bear the looks of my friends and family, and if I was brutally honest with myself, they wouldn't be able to bear me either.

Vlad finally let go of my hair. I slowly slid him out of my mouth, remaining on the ground and staring listlessly as nothing. Something essential felt broken inside of me, consumed by the black ball of bitterness and hatred and then finished off by the permanent shame I would never be free from. I didn't want to exist anymore. I just...I was done.

Vlad buttoned his pants and picked me up, settling my shadow of a self into the crook of his arm. I didn't even react when he wiped away a drip of cum that had escaped out the side of my mouth, allowing him to press my head against his chest. My eyes closed; I inhaled the subtle scent of his cologne that had become so familiar. Vlad would never let me die, and it occurred to me that he was probably the only person left who wouldn't see me for the disgusting stain I had become, if only because of his own blindness. I...I took a lot of comfort in that. A lot more than I should have.

He slowly lifted my chin and placed a soft, almost apologetic kiss on my lips. They readily molded against mine despite what I'd been doing minutes before, not shying away from the dirty film I felt covering my entire body. Vlad obviously didn't care, nothing but gentle caresses, remorseful kisses, and an adoring embrace encircling my disgrace. Something felt terribly wrong about the entire thing, but I couldn't place a finger on what, too busy getting a guilty solace from this. I didn't realize I was kissing him back until it was too late. It...it was _so _sick and wrong, but did that even matter anymore?

Vlad responded eagerly, but slowly, as though afraid he'd scare me off. I felt his hand stroke up my back, another one resting casually on my hip. He didn't push in the slightest, practically letting me lead the kiss, which was what made everything so much worse.

Maybe I just wanted to be reassured that someone could still want me. Even if my family hadn't abandoned me because of my ghost half, if they found out about all of this...about what I've done... In the back of my mind I knew there was really nothing but a pathetic desperation and an all consuming lie in the intimacy we shared, from both participants. I was kissing Vlad with an increasing intensity and feeling nothing but an empty sense of self-loathing and longing. Still, a fucked up part of me was gracious that he was here to hold me, even if he was lying to himself just as much as I was.

It took a moment for me to realize that _this _was the official lowest point of my life.

Hot red burned in my face as I suddenly turned away and sat up, easily breaking Vlad's loose hold. A very dull sense of horror was ringing in my ears as I touched a finger to my swollen lips, sniffing and wiping away the wetness on my face.

What the fuck was I _doing_?

Vlad sat up slowly, placing a hand on my back that I wanted to recoil from. I was too paralyzed to look up and see what he was thinking. I didn't want to know.

"...Perhaps you need a moment alone, little badger." he murmured softly, placing his lips atop my stone head.

I didn't acknowledge that I heard him, not even as he stood up. I didn't glance at him either, wide eyes trained on the fire before me. My mind was disturbingly blank.

"Come by the study once you've collected yourself. I'll be waiting for you."

Vlad's voice was surprisingly distant, and by the time I looked up he was already gone from the den.

I was completely alone.

For a long moment I had no idea what to do with myself. I hadn't been alone or had time to myself since I woke up in my room on that Monday morning so achingly long ago. A cough scratched at my throat, sounding small in the lonely den. I know I was supposed to be thinking about ways to escape, searching every corner of the room for something to fight or slip away with. I wasn't stupid though. Vlad wouldn't have left me alone like this if there was even the slightest chance that I could sneak away. Besides, I knew the consequences should I try to run.

So I just sat there, staring into the dying fire and wondering what the hell was wrong with me. I'd bet Jazz wouldn't even have some kind of psycho babble to excuse my actions. They were just...I actually _kissed _him...and I didn't even know _why_. As if the answer would somehow be in everything I didn't want to think about, my brain decided to showcase my life as of a month ago: Amity Park, burning and screaming; my parents' horrified gasps as I turned into their worst enemy; Vlad, the ropes chaffing my skin as he carried me upstairs; the first time he touched me, raped me, and then when he did it all over again and a sick part of me actually got _pleasure _from it; all the nights spent silently praying and crying with no one coming; Kwan dead, that nameless man who was nothing but a pile of ash; my ghost wail reducing an army of two thousand to vapor and Vlad's manic grin...

Silence from Clockwork, from my family, from my friends...

The all consuming guilt that I resented them for it.

The first week or so I was here, there hadn't been a doubt in my mind that I would eventually escape. That idea went down hill very quickly though, growing farther and farther away until I could barely see it anymore. Vlad was so throughly domineering in every aspect of my life these days. I felt his presence like a constant wraith, poisonous fingers keeping a firm latch on my head and corrupting everything I'd ever believed. I wasn't sure if I'd ever escape this place. I wasn't sure if I'd ever see my friends and family again. I wasn't even sure if I was still _me_.

Before the last remaining ground of sanity could fall away and begin my slow decay, a memory bathed in all the light and hope I'd forgotten blazed through my head like a gunshot. There was still a glimmer of hope, one that was so hard to see from the middle Vlad's corrupting influence that I'd nearly forgotten it. It startled me that all the trauma and mind games he'd put me through could so completely smother my capacity to hope and even fight back, and the realization of this only ignited a terrible fear that spurred me closer to the one person who could help.

I needed to talk to Elysia.

In seconds, I'd fled from the room, sheer desperation driving me forward. I didn't think about security cameras, or an invisible stalking Plasmius, or anything else that would scare me away and keep me drowning under Vlad's hand. If there was any justice left in this world-if there was a _single ounce_-this wouldn't blow up in my face.

I had no idea where she would be other than the kitchens, so that's where I ran. I knew Vlad wouldn't want to be kept waiting for long, and the thought of him coming to look for me put my heart in my throat. If she wasn't in the kitchens I...I couldn't risk spending too much time looking for her. But I _needed _to see her. It was crazy how much I barely knew this girl and yet still felt an all consuming need for the hope she inspired. Elysia really is the only light I have left in my world, and I've hardly had a decent conversation with her. It was pathetic, but what could I do?

As it turns out, there _is _a last remaining ounce of justice in this world. I still wasn't thinking as I ran into the dining room, leaping over the table and bursting into the kitchens like a madman. But my haste stopped short when I heard all talking and laughter go silent from my entrance, four pairs of unfamiliar eyes immediately honing in on my frazzled form.

"Oh, um..." They were all gaping at me, even Elysia. For a blind second I didn't know what to think, and then an awful sinking feeling spread to the tips of my fingers, freezing me to the spot. I could see how shaken and wary the four other strangers were from my abrupt entrance, one of the cooking women even looking at me with open distrust. I wasn't welcome here.

Standing alone in the middle of the kitchen, I hugged my arms around myself, wondering why I'd ever thought I somehow _deserved _to feel anything but shame. They could probably see me exactly for what I was, but I remained pitiful in that I couldn't give up on all the hope Elysia gave me. I needed it too much.

"Danny?" She breathed in disbelief, hoping off the counter and running up to me. "Oh my goodness are you-Danny, what are you doing here? Are you okay? Is everything alright?"

"No..." I croaked, heart splitting in half because she suddenly reminded me of my sister so much it physically hurt. "Elysia..."

As I managed to croak out her name, I realized I had no idea what I'd planned to do when I saw her. That quickly didn't matter when I managed to look up and saw the aching worry etched into every line on her face, looking _so much _like Jazz. She was even her same height. To her, I wasn't an unwelcome intruder. Elysia arms were hovering awkwardly though, like she wasn't sure if it was okay to touch me. But I couldn't just stand here alone in the room with all of these strangers, stared at like the ugly, dirty freak I felt I'd become. Desperation drove me into the only welcoming spot in the room, covering my face from the world with shaking hands and silently begging her to just hold me until it all disappeared. She did exactly that, her long arms easing around my shoulders and pulling me close. It felt _nothing _like an embrace from Vlad.

"I'm...s-so sorry Elysia..." I stuttered, not even sure what I was apologizing for. Maybe for busting in like this so unexpectedly; I could still feel the other sets of eyes on my back. Then again, maybe I was apologizing because I'd so throughly let everyone down.

"You don't have _anything _to be sorry for, Danny." She said quietly, rubbing my back. "It's okay, you're safe now."

Her bittersweet words went straight through me, as painful as they were comforting. It felt _so good _to hear someone say that, but I knew I wasn't really safe. None of us were. A slow, shaky breath wasn't enough to keep back the torrent of emotions tearing through my mind. My throat was tightening up again, watering eyes ushering in more embarrassment. Like a child, I couldn't pull myself away from the comforting darkness I was hiding in, but luckily Elysia knew what I needed.

"...Danny, you can look up now. There's no one else here."

As skittish as a wild animal, I unveiled my face and looked around the empty kitchen. Those four other people were gone, nothing but a miniscule swing to the back door revealing where they'd gone. I turned back to look at Elysia, her gentle expression and comforting embrace proving nearly too much. I had to bury my face again, mostly to hide my too-glassy eyes.

"Oh God, Elysia..." I choked out, willing myself not to cry. "He...He-"

"Shhh." She rubbed my back carefully, her hand moving in small circles and never straying to the point of uncomfortable like Vlad's.

"I didn't-I didn't know where else to go." I trembled, the tears getting harder and harder to hold back. How could I be breaking down in the arms of someone I met barely twenty four hours ago? Hell, how could I even have any tears _left_?

Elysia was so incredibly patient, not pushing me in the slightest. I didn't want to tell her about what Vlad made me do in the den, instead pushing it to the farthest corner of my mind and focusing on the small arms wrapped protectively around my shoulders. I remembered that this is was it truly felt like to be consoled, and Vlad paled in comparison.

"I can't do this anymore." I whispered, voice so small it scared me. "He's making me as crazy as he is."

Elysia hugged me tighter, her small cheek pressing against the top of my buried head.

"I don't...I don't know how long I can last."

The ultimate confession of what I'd truly been feeling all along unlocked the floodgates. Before I knew it, I was bawling all over her chest, wave after wave of aching despair crashing into my brittle frame. That was the scariest part about everything happening to me, that it was only a matter of time before I cracked. It was hard to imagine that I'd only been here for a month when it seemed like years. I wasn't fifteen years old anymore, and if my family ever saw me again, I was sure they wouldn't recognize the person I've become in as little as four weeks.

With the world under his fingertips, Vlad has been free to exercise his depravity to it's fullest extent, and I never dreamed of how evil he could truly be.

"P-please don't abandon me here, Elysia." I sobbed, not even caring about how pathetic I sounded.

"Of _course _I won't." She squeezed me tighter, heartbreak in her voice. "Why would you think I'd do something like that?"

"B-Because my family and friends...I think they already have." The words tasted awful on my tongue, cutting deep into my aching chest.

"Is that what he's been telling you? Danny you can't believe him! Your friends and family would never leave you here!"

"How do you know?" I sniffed, hating myself for even asking. "I n-never got to tell my p-parents about my ghost half. They _hated _my ghost half, and-and the last time they saw me...Vlad forced me to change in front of them. If-If they still haven't come for me yet...It only makes sense that...that they-"

"_No_, Danny." Elysia cut me off in a surprisingly stern voice, firmly holding me at arms length. "No loving parent would ever abandon their child, especially to a place like this. No matter how much your Mom and Dad dislike Phantom, I'll bet anything that they love you more. You can't let Vlad get to you like this. You can't believe a word that monster says, especially if it's about your family. He'll say anything to turn you against them."

Her logic doused the raging misery in my head like a bucket of ice cold water, relief soaking into my skin. I gapped for a long minute, trying to allow myself to feel her words because deep in my heart I knew they were true. There was just one small problem.

"But...but what about..."

I wrapped my arms around my midsection subconsciously, face screwing up in pain as I felt Vlad's sperm writhing in my stomach. Oh God, I needed to throw up.

Elysia jumped when I ran to the giant sink, unloading everything in my gut with tightly shut eyes. I didn't want to see what it looked like, blindly turning on the faucet and washing it down the drain. A grating sob ripped out of my throat as I coughed, and I swore I could taste him on my tongue again. Scrambling, I shoved my mouth under the faucet until the icy cold water had turned everything numb, finally collapsing to my knees and sobbing all over again cause I could feel the bugs crawling.

God, I was a fucking wreck.

Elysia was on the floor in seconds, clutching me to her chest. I tried as hard as I could to stifle my cries, so tired of breaking down like this. But I couldn't get a handle on it, unable to stand being in my own skin on a daily basis. The worst part was that I couldn't escape it, forced to feel Vlad's hands all over my body or his tongue in my mouth whenever my brain decided to remind me of how revolting I am.

"I can't ever see them again, Elysia." I moaned, hiding my face and hiccuping on shuddering sobs. "Not-not after...after everything he's done...I'm so _disgusting_."

"No Danny, you're not." Elysia's voice cracked. "I don't care what he does or what you think, you are _not _a disgusting person. You are a very sweet boy who has had a lot of horrible things happen to you. _Vlad _is the disgusting one, _not _you."

I wanted to believe her so badly. My heart felt like it was going to burst with the swell of want stretching it to its limit. I couldn't quite see how I wasn't at least a little bit repulsive, but here, in Elysia's arms, I felt like maybe I wasn't completely lost either. It was a nice feeling.

We basically sat on the floor of the kitchen until I managed to get ahold of myself, just like Vlad wanted. He probably wasn't wanting me to do it with the help of someone who has no problem calling him disgusting, but I figure what he doesn't know can't hurt him. We couldn't stay here forever though, no matter how much I wanted to. Though there was still a puddle of sick shame swirling at the base of my stomach, I felt better. Elysia's words seemed to war in my head with Vlad's, shining just bright enough to overcome the sly manipulation of the vile man. Vlad _will _say anything to turn me against my family, but the only way for that to happen is if I let myself believe him. Vlad's not always right like he thinks he is, and while maybe...maybe I do deserve the shame, that doesn't mean my family will love me any less.

"I promise I'll find a way to get you out of here, Danny. You won't have to stay here for another month and suffer like this; we'll find a way to get you home."

I squeezed her as tight as I could, feeling so exhausted with life but still somehow able to persevere again. I didn't see how she was going to manage to get me home, but just the fact that she was saying it struck a cord. She was proof that it wasn't irrational to hope, which means I could hope too.

"Just hold on a little longer, okay?"

Her whisper was followed by a quiet sniff, and Elysia momentarily pulled away to wipe at her eyes. I felt bad that I'd made her cry too, so I swallowed the rest of my despair and put on a stronger face. She gave a wane smile when I placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently, hoping I could convey how much I appreciated her help because I couldn't find the words to express it.

A tiny creak was what finally interrupted the much needed support session. We snapped our heads in unison to the direction the sound came from, wearing matching expressions of alarm. I noticed that Elysia relaxed at the sight of the old man from earlier peaking his head from around the back kitchen door, but my frown didn't move.

"Elysia?" He asked hesitantly, his voice low and calm. "Is everything alright in here?"

"Everything's fine, Charlie." she sniffed one last time, smiling up at the white haired man and glancing at me.

Elysia stood, helping me to my feet as well. I felt irrationally defensive as he approached, soon followed by the three other people who had been staring at me like a circus freak before. Honestly I had no real reason to distrust these people so much, but I just couldn't help it. It was hard to trust anyone anymore.

"Danny, these are my friends." Elysia moved and stood before the gaggle of strangers, smile wide and welcoming. "Charlie, Tyler, Mabel, and Opal."

Charlie winked at me, wearing a warm expression that lifted his bushy mustache. He kinda looked like the guy on all the canned ravioli Jazz used to buy for groceries. The guy dubbed 'Tyler' waved, a half smile quirking his golden boy features. Mabel was giving me a welcoming greeting too, nodding her head low with hands clasped in front of her full body. She looked irrationally happy to be meeting me, like a typical grandmother or something. Opal, on the other hand, the one whom I noted was staring at me with open distrust from before, wasn't even smiling.

"...hi." I finally managed.

For a moment I was afraid the introductions would be tainted with a long awkward silence, cause I had no idea what to say to these people. I figured, since it had been no secret to Elysia, that everyone else probably knew all about my relationship with Vlad. What do you say to people you've just met with that kind of three hundred pound gorilla in the room? Coupled by the giant, pink I-just-burst-in-here-crying-like-a-little-girl elephant? Luckily, we were all saved by Charlie, who I was liking more and more by the second.

"Would you like something to eat, Danny? I can have Tyler heat up a fresh lava cake."

"Aw man, why do _I _have to do it? I'm still tryin to make the seasoning for dinner!"

"And failing miserably." Opal muttered, to which Tyler glared and made a comical 'I'm watching you' gesture.

"Um, no thank you." I murmured, glancing at the clock and feeling my stomach sink a bit. Nearly a half hour had already passed since Vlad left me alone. "I...should probably get back to V-I should probably go."

It was clear that everyone but Tyler caught my stumble, making a blush heat up my face. They all knew where I was supposed to be, or more importantly, with _whom _I was supposed to be. Like a dog chained to its master...

"Are you sure you have to go so soon?" Elysia frowned, ringing her fingers together. "I'm just afraid you won't have a chance to see us again for a while..."

"I probably won't." I replied in a dead tone, feeling myself start to disconnect a bit. The distance was easier to manage than shame. "This is the first Vlad's allowed me to be away from him for an extended period of time. But it's better that way, I don't want to arouse suspicion."

"Because kicking down the kitchen door is _so _subtle." Opal muttered, and I cringed.

"_Opal_!" The woman who looked like she could be her sister, Mabel, jabbed her in the ribs with a reproachful scowl.

I squirmed where I stood, feeling the creeping tendrils of alienation. Even if it was just one person, the heavy sense of aversion made me want to flee back to the familiar. But the familiar was _Vlad_. Elysia put a hand on my shoulder, briefly frowning at Opal before looking at me with an expression that made the gray go away and let the sun in.

"Ignore her Danny, she's just...a little rough around the edges. We need to think of a better way to communicate before you leave, incase we don't get to see each other for a while. Think you can stay and do that?"

Ignoring Opal's indignant grumbling, I momentarily marveled at how foreign it felt to be asked rather than told; to have a _choice _in something, for once. Reluctant eyes glanced at the clock again, hating how leashed I felt to the man. But a more powerful urge bid me to stay. More than that, I _wanted _to, and this was a matter of freedom and eternal imprisonment, after all.

"Okay, but only for a little bit." I consented, not quite able to rid myself of the apprehension.

Elysia smiled, leading me to one of the bar stools set against the counter as Charlie moved to the fridge. I watched as the others meandered back to their previous duties, that is, preparing dinner for Vlad and I. Tyler was whistling while he worked though, throwing me casual smiles whenever we happened to catch each other's glance. Mabel seemed fairly relaxed too, but I didn't exactly know a thing about her, so she might always be like that. Opal was much easier to read, particularly in the less-than-gentle way she cut up vegetables. Charlie brought my attention back to the counter top with the placement of two root-beer floats, complete with pink, decorative umbrellas popping out of the foam. The silliness of the treat blossomed a rare smile on my face for the first time in ages, feeling incomparably good.

"There's a smile!" Charlie yelled, hands opening wide as though in celebration. "I knew there was one in there somewhere."

The smile turned the slightest bit bashful, but remained strong, particularly when the creamy, amber drink lit up my taste-buds like the morning sun.

"Oh man, this is awesome!"

"Well thank you, young man. I'm glad you enjoy it." Charlie tipped his hat, the edges of his eyes crinkling in true happiness. It was clear this man was born to be a chief, getting nothing but joy out of people enjoying his talented concoctions. It's just a shame a guy like him is stuck working for _Vlad_.

"Hey Danny, out of curiosity, where did you put that note I gave you earlier today?"

Elysia's valid question came with a reminder of reality, but that was inevitable. I couldn't exactly sit here and enjoy delicious root-beer floats all day anyways.

"In the personal locker room back in the training halls. I stuffed the note in the locker above the bottom-most left one. I figured it'd be the safest place to put it cause Vlad never goes in there."

"That sounds good." Elysia nodded. "I'll make sure I get in charge of cleaning that room so no other maids can stumble across them either. ...Other than notes, though, I can't think of a way to communicate with you..."

The sincere frown on her face pulled at something in my chest, particularly because seeing someone so upset on my behalf was, frankly, comforting. It was nice to be worried about by someone who wasn't missing a few screws. It felt more...real.

"That's okay Elysia. Just those simple notes make all the difference in the world."

She looked at me, a compassionate glimmer in her eyes that bordered on pity. I didn't mind though, it was perfectly understandable. Elysia and Charlie went deep into thought, clearly trying to think of a better way to stay in contact with me. The act was touching, twitching up a small but humble smile because they _wanted _to stay in contact with me, even though they _knew _about what I've done with Vlad and how dangerous it would be. They didn't know about all the dangers though, or all the obstacles. I was hesitant to tell them because I was sure there was no way around Vlad, and then all that hope would be gone...but it couldn't be help.

"Guys, you should know that Vlad's made it clear what he thinks about escape." I muttered, talking down into my float. "There's a ghost shield surrounding the mansion and he put this _thing _in my neck that prevents me from going ghost to begin with. I have a bad feeling that it does a lot of other stuff too, the least of which a tracking device. If I leave as a human, I have no doubt that Vlad will find me within seconds. But there's more than just that...He said that if I try to escape, he'll..."

Kwan's face flashed before my eyes, frozen in a terrified scream and blood exploding around him.

"He'll kill people...and...he'll make me watch again."

My voice got progressively quieter, trailing off until there was nothing left but the open stares of Elysia and Charlie. They did not look heartened by my words, as I knew they wouldn't be. Escape would be a lot harder than they imagined, if it was possible at all. Despite the rules, I've spent every waking moment thinking about it, but I can't find a single way to get around Vlad. Why would they be able to?

"What do you mean, a thing in your neck?" Elysia finally spoke up, brows furrowed.

"He did it earlier today, before lunch." I felt a dark look settling back on my face. "He removed the collar I've been wearing and cut open a small hole at the base of my neck and stuck something inside..." I turned and loosened my shirt just enough so Elysia could see the bandage, allowing her to pull the top part of it down and peer at the heavy black stitches. "Vlad said it was basically a less obtrusive version of the collar, but when he activated it, it clenched down on the bone and it felt like knives were stabbing up my spine. He won't tell me what else it does."

"That...that _foul_ man..." Elysia shook, speaking through gritted teeth. Charlie had an equally horrified look on his face, peppered with concern. I buttoned my top buttons up again and sipped on the dwindling float, waiting for them to say the crushing conclusion that it was all hopeless.

"Okay...so first we're gonna have to find a way to get that thing out of you. Then we'll deal with the homicidal threats. And after that the ghost shield shouldn't be a problem-"

"Wait, wait, wait, you still want to go through with this?" I gapped at her, hardly believing someone could really be so damn _selfless_.

"Well of course I do." Elysia replied with a reproachful frown. "I knew this wasn't going to be easy or _safe _when I signed up for it. I'm not giving up on you Danny."

Successfully stunned into silence, the most I could manage was a blank stare. Words seemed too confusing to express the swell of awe and gratitude currently overtaking my mind, but I didn't wanna ruin it by attaching it with inadequate words anyway. Every time I thought it was gonna be too much for the timid maid, she surprised me with the size of her heart. Elysia seemed to understand my wonderment, the frown falling and replaced with a wane smile, an _understanding _smile. She glanced at the clock, the expression falling for a second before fortitude returned it just as quickly.

"It's getting late. I'll contact you as soon as I can think of something. Until then, if you ever have the chance and need to see me, I'll be here in the kitchens. Sound good?"

"...Yeah." I forced out quietly, a smile born of nothing but pure relief relaxing my features. She wasn't gonna give up on me...I was _really _gonna get out of here.

These thoughts floated me out of the kitchens with a sanguine wave, to which all but Opal returned. I didn't even feel the slightest ounce of dread as I made my way up to the study, knowing I was probably in for a long night due to my behavior with Vlad from before. A shudder momentarily marred the buoyancy, face cringing. What on _Earth _ever possessed me to _kiss him back_?

But, what was done was done. I'd make sure Vlad got the message that that was nothing more than a _sordid_ mistake, one that I wouldn't be making again. He most likely wouldn't like that very much, but whatever.

Before long I was standing in front of the heavy, soul-sucking doors that led into Vlad's study. Once I crossed the threshold I'd be thrown back into my life of misery, delusion, and above all, pain. But the black ball of anger and hate Vlad was nourishing wouldn't be allowed to flourish anymore. In the back of my mind, I would no longer be able to forget the light that Elysia had inspired, no matter how much he twists and corrupts my head. She's _proof _that all the messed up garbage he believes is nothing more than his own concocted bitterness.

People aren't really that heartless.

* * *

Vlad pressed me down into the mattress, towering above and raining unwelcome caresses along my neck. I winced, the feel of his velvety lips combined with the naked heat of our bodies igniting a shameful fire. He smiled when I squirmed, one of his trailing hands sliding down my vulnerable flesh and cupping the forced arousal.

A gasp resonated, spine bowing when he started massaging. Vlad was whispering in my ear all the things he was going to do to me, every word punctuated with a hot breath that wormed into my head and twisted into anticipating dread. His large hand enveloped my hardening length, moving at a torturously slow rate that made me want to scream for more reasons than one. The bugs and shame were writhing within me, but slowly fading into the background as he continued his ministration. Vlad worked hard to make them go away until I was completely pliant under his touch, and I did my damnedest to fight against him.

I couldn't remember what Elysia had said when we talked earlier, other than that my family still loves me. It turned into a mantra as Vlad shoved his tongue into my mouth, his fingers into my entrance, and finally his cock into my body. I screamed and cried out, arching against the sheets and breathing so laboriously it hurt. Vlad's panting was equally heavy in my ear, groaning moans mixing with mine as he drove me to the edge. I knew this wasn't it though. It was way to early for it to be over already.

Grinning like a maniac, he pulled out, pressing me farther into the sheets with a splayed hand on my chest. I could see his own, aching erection, the unadulterated want in his eyes as he looked hungrily at my gasping form. He was putting of the pleasure, building it up like he always does so that when we climaxed, I wouldn't be able to tell if it was his moans I was hearing or mine.

"I still feel guilty about your punishment today, little badger." Vlad hissed, licking my ear licentiously.

I gave a whimpering moan, trying to cringe away from the body pressing me down. Vlad moved his lips down my neck, hovering over erect nipples and then moving farther south. My voice caught in my throat when he lingered at my navel, facial hair scratching at the smooth skin.

"Perhaps I can make it up to you." He murmured, a wicked grin curling his feature as he looked up and met my terrified eyes. Oh no...

Vlad pressed my hips into the mattress with an iron grip, chest sinking with dread when his lips moved and hovered over my dripping erection. I wanted Vlad's lips around my cock about as much as I wanted mine around his, but as usual, I was powerless to stop any of it. He ignored my near hyperventilating, looking up and meeting my eyes with a leering grin before suddenly swallowing me whole.

I moaned like a million dollar whore and the rest of the night was lost in a haze of sick, inexcusable, hedonistic pleasure.

But at least my family still loves me.

* * *

Vlad's PoV next. Hopefully in a dear_god_ faster update. And if this chapter sucked let me know. I know the ending kinda sucks, but HEY. It's updated, so no complaining. (Unless its constructive complaining, of course)

I LOVE YOU ALL.


	14. Chapter 14

Well hot damn.

To those who still read this story, I just wanna let you know that I am back in business. To those who care to know why it took 400 years for me to update: I met the love of my life and got married, organized and led a protest march/rally in Lexington against Monsanto (cause they suck), and my computer completely DIED for about 2 months. The end. :)

On an unrelated note, my husband thinks it's weird that I write cartoon porn, but he eats bugs and uses vinegar for deodorant so WHATEVER. I love him so much. C:

Please enjoy.

* * *

Madness with its wings

Has covered half my soul

It feeds me fiery wine

And lures me into the abyss.

Requiem by Anna Akhmatova

-XxX

Time seems to be haunting me. Mocking me, almost. I hear its tick in every corridor. It exists in every sunken hallway. With its tick comes the looming shadow of the unknowable; a vast, expansive cloud filled with varying possibilities that I will never be able to fully control. Each one sets me on edge with a nauseous mixture of excitement and terror. How does one handle himself in the calm, ticking approach of the singular moment that everything hinges on? It's the cumulation of all my planning, of _years _spent brooding and raging and fighting with not just the world but myself. Everything hinges on what's to come, and all I can do is wait and prepare as best I can. One can only hope that I am ready...that _we _are ready.

With calculating eyes, I watched Daniel unleash a wave of raw power inside the obstacle course. He dodged and evaded everything from bullets to blades, moving with a practiced fluidity that reminded me of myself. He didn't hesitate to remove the things that impeded his path, reacting on instinct just as I had taught him. In two swift clicks I rewinded the video and watched him do it again, mouth curling into a satisfied smile.

Behind me, the cold, sterile lab echoed with the impassioned symphonies of Antonin Dvorak, almost drowning the quiet beeps of the many active computers. With a disposition balanced precariously between the constant twitch of anxiety and equanimity, I sipped at a glass of red wine and reclined into the seat, evaluating the performance of my dear apprentice for the week. He's already come such a long way in a short period of time. I knew a focused environment was all he needed to reach his potential. Daniel enjoys training too, I can tell. He may think he can hide his smiles from me, but I see how animated he becomes in the throws of battle. He's energized by the fight, and even better, addicted to the rush it brings.

Though I admit, that's not _entirely_ his doing.

I can still remember the look he gave me after I removed that gaudy collar and implanted a more subtle leash under his skin. The boy is correct in only a few of his suspicions, though. I'm sure he's guessed its role as a tracking device, and probably some pain inducing function designed to keep him in line. But he'd be wrong about the latter idea. The spider-like genius latched onto his spinal cord is much too delicate for such rough activity, although if the boy ever tries to remove the device himself, he could potentially induce a lifetime of chronic nerve pain or even paralyze himself.

The entire micro-apparatus is firmly attached to his central nervous system, each painstakingly designed leg equipped with ground-breaking technology the world will never have access to. It's an action-reaction stimulated device, activating only in response to natural functions that occur within the human body. When Daniel trains or fights, his body releases adrenaline and to some degree, endorphins. Once the micro-apparatus detects the normal synapses that pass to induce the body's chemical production of each natural drug, it enhances the flow of neurotransmitters and effectively triples its production. Daniel, without realizing it, experiences three times the normal amount of adrenaline in a fight, increasing his endorphins, sense of euphoria, and most of all, motivation.

When creating such brilliance, I remained well aware that I needed to find a way of keeping the device from activating in response to every synapse that passes through his nervous system. Otherwise, such an overload of chemical responses throughout the body could kill the boy. At the very least, his experience of pain would be three times greater than necessary. It took numerous tests on cloned replicas of his nervous system, but I finally engineered a way for my device to be selective in its response to the flow of synapses, fine-tuning the reaction sensors to specific neurotransmissions. Now, as it gradually assimilates with Daniel's body, the only body it can work on, it will progressively come to operate at its designed levels, levels which only I can adjust via computer.

Eventually there will come a point in time when the device will be unnecessary. When Daniel finally accepts his new life with me, I can easily deactivate all but the tracking device. Of course, by then his body will likely have become so accustomed to the induced triplication that it will continue producing increased amounts of the specified chemicals _without_ my help. A rather convenient after-effect, I think. It virtually guarantees that the boy will forever be touched by my influence, even at the smallest biological and involuntary level.

I filed the video log of his obstacle performance away, satisfied with the progress. In moments, the recording of his sessions against my mutated soldiers played before me, the computer analyzing everything from the angle of his attacks to his adrenaline gradations. The micro-apparatus has yet to reach its designed levels, but already a detectable increase in Daniel's endorphin and adrenaline productions could be observed. Coupled with his already present passion for ghost fighting, it will be a matter of days before he becomes consumed with training and improving, undoubtedly further using the exercise as a coping mechanism as well.

Oh, but I wasn't about to limit my little device to the training halls. Not when it had applications that extended all the way to the bedroom. Daniel has always fought with me when I try to help him, when I just want the boy to yield in the face of his unmanageable burdens. I know how stressed he is on a daily basis, and while such stress keeps him well preoccupied, his stubbornness will eventually cause an unintentional breakdown. Once he acknowledges our intimacy as a source of nothing but pleasure, as his fundamentalsource of satisfaction, he'll subconsciously accept it without a nagging thought. Daniel has been suffering and fighting for so long that I know he's craving a source of comfort just to keep his sanity, a grounding point he'll know he can always turn to. Inevitably I _will _wear him down, and the device under his skin will assure my place as his grounding point by increasing his production of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and vasopressin during intimacy; all the hormones, in short, that create love.

I suppose playing with the hormones in his body to effectuate such strong feelings of attachment could be construed as creating a fabrication of the "real thing", but that's hardly true at all. There is nothing mysterious about emotions. They are nothing more than the result of chemical responses in our body, and once they are created, they are by our own definition, _real_. Daniel is already on his way to seeing me as a source of comfort. How could he not when I'm the only constant he has left in such an unpredictable and bitter world? My device, by giving him elevated levels of all the hormones that increase pleasure and foster attachment, is doing nothing but speeding up the inevitable. I will become Daniel's ultimate source of happiness, whether he wants me to be or not.

I watched my little badger zip around the melee room, looking tired, but still very much focused on the fight. The creatures of my own design charged after him, oblivious to the way he herded them all into a solid pack with his flight pattern. Daniel flew to the head of the horde and released a mildly powerful wail as I had instructed that day, stretching and strengthening his endurance. The attack clearly took a chuck of energy from the young hybrid, but not so much that he couldn't remain in ghost form and continue flying. As for the unfortunate horde, a majority had fallen to the unforgiving floor far below and ceased to exist. There was no pool producing more minions this time, and Daniel had nothing more to do but pick off the remaining monsters with the last of his strength.

He succeeded, triumphing over the exercise as I knew he would. The only significant mistake he made was at the very end, when a creature very nearly took advantage of his fatigue and almost impaled him with outstretched claws. I had chided him for such carelessness, not to mention making me fret with anxiety. I don't enjoy putting Daniel in life-threatening training sessions such as these, but it's the best way for him to learn. Otherwise, he won't be prepared to face the unforgiving reality outside these walls.

It didn't take much longer to review the last of the video logs. Once they were organized and filed away, I stretched from my chair and glanced at the clock. Daniel would be finishing up his tutoring session within the hour, leaving me just enough time to enjoy Dvorak's seventh symphony. Without much care, I brought up the video feed for all of my current spy-bugs flying around Amity Park. Their main operation has been to locate any signs of the resistance the Fenton's have undoubtedly been heading, but truthfully, such efforts have been trivial at best. If I really wanted to find the resistance I'd have it done in a matter of days. After all, there aren't very many places for them to hide at this point. Thanks to the wall I've erected around Amity Park, I know they're here, trapped like rats waiting for extermination. And why waste the effort to find them when I know they'll come to me?

I mustn't be too incautious, of course, or hasty, for that matter. But I can feel the burning desire for retribution grow with each passing day, itching to take swift action against my enemies. Each day they live sets me on edge, not allowing me to enjoy the full satisfaction of my triumph. I know they're out there, desperate to take everything away from me again, _especially _Daniel. But as long as I live I won't let that happen. Not ever again. They will be dealt with in due time, and once they are gone Daniel and I can finally relax, free from the skeletons of our past.

The numerous spy-cam videos flitted past my narrowed eyes, cycling throughout the city. Much of the images revealed the same, repeating scene: crumbled, burned, and ruined buildings, the occasional battalion of marching soldiers, and vultures picking at their latest meal. The only time I paused the swift chain of video feeds was when one contained a more interesting scrap of evidence, such as a dirt covered urchin scrabbling over a set of rubble. Nearly every time I stopped on such a scene, however, it was just another ambling, confused citizen with no sense of direction except the next source of food. Such disappointment was all I was granted today, but it was no matter. As I said, in the end they will come to me, and I am more than ready for them.

Sighing, I closed down the spy-cam videos and quickly checked up on my busy scientists. I didn't talk to them for long. I just wanted to make sure they were on schedule. The super portals needed to be operational as soon as possible. Before long there was nothing left to do but collect Daniel, and a true, genuine smile spread across my face at last.

In the world above, a quiet stillness reigned. No lingering servants could be heard or seen, giving the air an abandoned effect, though it was easy enough to disregard. I walked silently through the halls, ignoring the irrational yet ever constant itch to have Daniel beside me. My pace seemed to quicken the closer I got to the tutoring room.

When I rapped on the study door, both occupants turned to face me with differing expressions. The catty smirk on Ghostwriters visage taunted Daniel all the way out the door, and the boy's burning resentment smoldered under a determinedly stone face. I placed a hand on his shoulders as we exited down the hall, the tension in his posture hardly unraveling. Absentmindedly, my fingertips caressed the fine scar hiding the symbiotic chip, anticipating the day its full influence took hold on my youth's disposition.

"You look particularly jaded today, little badger." I commented, hoping only to hear his voice respond. He replied, but the words were biting.

"I'm always particularly jaded."

Sarcasm. Yes, nothing out of the ordinary today, that was for sure. I watch him from the corner of my eye, taking in his more squared stance and brighter eyes. I wasn't quite sure if his stronger posture was from the usual concoction of tension and anger, or if something else had infected his countenance. Something that suggested his rebellious and stubborn nature that I'd worked hard to repress.

My eyes crinkled in a barely detectable trace of amusement at this fragile bravado. It was almost fun, watching my little badger react to the whirlpool of emotions being cooked up inside him. He's been particularly resistant lately, but how could he not? I'd had him near the end of his rope, extinguished and abused into a resigned despair (particularly after putting him on his knees like that in the den) and now he's having to confront a shifting state of mind that goes against everything he's ever felt about me. Though the growing petulant gleam of resilience infuriates me every time I look into his ice blue eyes, it's a perfectly understandable reaction that will crumble in due time. This ghostly husk of fortitude is nothing more than denial strutting along the edge of a poorly constructed stage, from which the boy will inevitably fall. Daniel won't be able to pretend forever.

Lunch was quiet. The boy didn't eat as much as I would have liked, but at least his appetite was improving. A tired, brooding expression hung from his shoulders as he picked at the steamed broccoli, looking very much like he was trapped in his own head. I wanted to let the boy pick the training regiment today, but his human half had been neglected long enough and Daniel wasn't about to run laps willingly. Perhaps we'd work on something combat related afterwards, something that he could use to lose himself in. I think I was feeling unusually sympathetic today.

After our meal, we headed for the locker rooms. He lamented running laps only briefly before disappearing inside, stalling and taking longer than necessary to change clothes.

Daniel came out in full running gear, loosening his muscles with a casual stretch and ignoring my roving eye. I followed the boy into the gym with an unconcealed smirk, admiring the definition along his body. He preformed his pre-cardio stretches, tolerating my groping hands as I assisted him. By the time he was throughly loosened up, a healthy blush graced his cheeks. He didn't look at me or say a word before taking off down the track, his graceful stride quickly putting some distance between us. Still, I watched as he ran with the exertion of someone attempting to outrun reality itself, going around and around the track without pause. As expected, he wouldn't be needing my supervision today. Running laps hardly requires a coach, and I had a few other matters to attend to.

I let him keep going for a good while just to be sure, practically mesmerized by the exertion he put into his workout. Perspiration was beginning to soak into his shirt and slide down the flushed skin of his face, yet he wasn't pausing for a break. Admirable. Daniel closed in on his second sprinted mile, nearly barreling into me when I stepped onto the track and called for him to stop.

"Aah!"

Not aware of my sudden intrusion until it was too late, the boy yelped and hastily slowed his pace, my solid chest bringing him to a complete halt.

"Jesus, Vlad!" he gasped, panting heavily and taking a few hasty steps back.

Daniel leaned his hands on trembling knees, dry heaving as his body caught up with him. His head hung like dead weight between his arms as he tried to catch his breath, swaying unsteadily. I closed the space between us and shoved a bottle of water into his hands, only slightly concerned.

"You looked like you could use a break, little badger."

He scowled, failing to share in my amusement.

"Well you could have given me a little more warning."

Grumbling, Daniel twisted off the bottle cap and gulped down half of it. I watched his throat expand and contract, diamonds of sweat trickling down taunt skin and making his body gleam with a suggestive allure. He coughed on his water when I moved even closer, a touch of wariness entering his scowl. I took no heed of this, placing my hands on his warm hips with a smile.

"There are matters I must attend to in the Ghost Zone." I told him, rubbing smooth circles into his skin. "I trust you will continue training as required."

It wasn't a question. Daniel gave me a long look through furrowed brows and took another swig of the water.

"Well it's not like I have anything else to do around here." he finally replied, shifting his body under my hands.

"Oh, now I wouldn't say that..."

Daniel stopped fidgeting when I caressed my hand over the front of his shorts, looking straight at my chest rather than my eyes. The licentious smile on my face never budged, visions of the way he keened for me last night, writhing like a cat in heat, visibly playing across _both_ of our mind's eye. A slight blush could be detected under his resolute scowl, reminiscent of the vivid flush he wore last night. The glistening beads of exertion dripping down his face could be mistaken for last night's passion, when his eyes were squeezed shut while puffy, abused lips formed a long moan. Such a beautiful creature.

Sadly, such fond remembrances would have to wait. Daniel had his training to complete and I had a dream specter to speak with. The boy still didn't stir when I moved my wandering hand to his face, brushing a thumb under the dark circles of his eyes. He was unresponsive to my kiss, until a silent warning squeeze on his hip urged him to reciprocate.

"I will return later."

He nodded, understanding my unspoken command. I placed one last kiss on his cold lips and left him alone, pushing away the momentary twinge in my chest. Daniel was off and running before I even closed the door, pouring himself into his training as he was being programed to do. I left him, and walked down the expansive hallway alone. A lurking plague of impatience tugged at my heart, inappropriate and constant in its want, tarnishing my pleasant thoughts. I touched a finger to the spot where Daniel's cold, unresponsive lips last rested.

I wanted the chip to work faster.

The boy was showing the blossoms of increased adrenaline levels, but if I was truly honest with myself, that's not what I really cared about. Even before I took over the world, Daniel loved using his powers and bettering himself with them. He probably doesn't even notice how addicted he's becoming to using his ghost powers. I, on the other hand, have never exactly been his favorite person. The progressive influence of the hormone increase will be much less fluid in comparison. While the fluctuating mood swings and aggressive behavior prove that he is indeed feeling its effects, I tire of this waiting game. From that first moan I procured all those weeks ago, he's bottled up what he doesn't want to confront, what he's absolutely _terrified_ of. I can already see how much he resents himself for what he feels when we are alone. He can't see it yet, but really, what I'm doing is liberating him from his more his denial mounts, to sooner the bottle will break. Eventually, Daniel won't be able to ignore the fact that he enjoys it when I touch him, that he _wants _me to. But coming to terms with his emotions and how he sees me will take much longer than a mere week. He's spent years giving his love to everyone else in the world: his town, his family, his friends, Samantha.

I felt my jaw twitch involuntarily.

Freeing Daniel from his shame is just the first step. The boy has been entirely too careless with his emotions, giving himself to the world without once thinking of himself. Some would mistake his actions admirable, but such foolish and ignorant thought fails to see the inner damage an altruistic lifestyle like that causes. How can no one else see his burden? The heroism of Danny Phantom has reduced the boy to an animal whose behavior serves to benefit all others at his own expense, and no one, not even Daniel, cares to see this cold truth. He's so wrapped up in saving everyone else that he dismisses his own pain and suffering, downplaying his burden like it's a small price to pay. Only I can remedy this mental failing of his, and taking that awful, damaging, superhero crutch away will help him in the long run. Saturating him with human misery and showing how no one comes to his aid as readily as he came to theirs is the only way to make him see the truth, to make him stop degrading himself for the sake of lesser beings. Admittedly, I can't deny the spirit of personal vengeance has colored my intentions slightly. Occasionally I might be too rough with the boy, sometimes because of lingering, personal resentment or other times because of the burning indignation that he'd allow a being as strong as himself to be so carelessly used by others. But it is no matter.

Danny Phantom, the manifestation of all his insecurities and the embodiment of all his abuse, is a thing of the past. His very identity has been stripped of him, along with the support and approval of those he thinks he needs. The cold abandonment of his family and friends is but a single step in making the boy my own. Making sure he continues holding onto that bitterness and despair is key to keeping him under my control. He needs to be run ragged and stretched to his very limits, left hanging right on the precipice of collapse, and then unconditionally brought back-_saved_-by none other than myself. This is how I will solidify my place in Daniel's heart. The love of his family and friends will count for _nothing _against the suffering he's endured, the dignity he's been stripped of, and the redemption I alone can offer him.

But breaking Daniel doesn't mean destroying his spirit. His unique fire is what makes him who he is. Molding and harnessing that inner spirit is how I will truly make him my own. He won't be bogged down or restrained by the mental obstacles standing in his way anymore. He'll be an entirely different person if his family and friends ever see him again; even the boy knows he's not the same person anymore. No, he's on his way to becoming something better. Something much better. Daniel will finally be free from the stigma of his born surname, and I will at last have what I've always deserved.

With a grin stretched wide across my face for no one but myself, I shifted into Plasmius, hovering in the air for a moment before diving into the Ghost Zone. I hardly noticed the encompassing landscape, lost in thoughts as vast as the world around me. Aside from my young protegee, I had measures to take in order to keep my territory under control. Measures only Nocturne, a ghost as old as dreams, could help with.

He lived in one of the more isolated, deeper parts of the Zone, in the background like the subconscious mind he so enjoyed toying with. Even with my speed, it took a fair amount of time to reach his layer. I knew I was getting close when I saw his Sleepwalkers drifting around like forgotten after-thoughts, letting me pass with silent consent. Nocturne, unlike Walker, understood the basic laws of a Ghost's territory and power. He respected these long standing morés, and for this, I trusted him despite the power-hungry streak he had. I could hardly fault him for that, now could I?

The green wash of color in the zone turned darker the farther I ventured, speckled with the imitation of stars. Really they were but motes of concentrated ectoplasm floating around listlessly, created over time by the obsession of the ghost who resided in this area. It evidenced Nocturne's age, as only ghosts who have been around for a _long _time leave a strong enough imprint on their territory to shift its physical make up. There were no floating purple doors anymore. I was surrounded by nothing but evanescent glimmers and wandering ghouls, exposed and dwarfed by the arrant emptiness, forcibly and curiously reminded of a lucid dream.

I was not surprised when Nocturne rose out of the darkness, seeming to peel away from the atmosphere. His size was enormous, his horned head alone larger than I was tall. Again, I was not surprised. Ghosts tended to enjoy making themselves larger than life in a display of ego. Unimpressed but amused, I met his even gaze, floating to his level so I wouldn't have to look up. Nocturne was stoney for only a moment, and then a smirk cracked his front.

"Plasmius. To what do I owe this great pleasure?"

"Hello Nocturne." I replied, not missing the touch of cheek in his greeting. "I'm assuming you've taken well to your island in the human world."

"Yes, they have been quite...satisfying." he purred, the smirk stretching into a thin smile. "Australians have such vivid imaginations, and the most wonderful dreams."

"Glad to hear it. Sadly, however, I must admit that I'm not here on a social call."

"Of course you're not, halfa. I never dreamed that you were." Nocturne smirked.

Ignoring the bad pun, I sized up his disposition before making my request. With a ghost like Nocturne, dealing in information wouldn't be free. He was too smart for that, but of course, I wasn't so stupid as to come unprepared. Even if Nocturne favored my plans with the human world, he would undoubtedly want something in return for his help.

"I am constructing a series of super portals in the human world. These portals are unlike anything created before, utilizing more energy than all the existing natural portals put together. As you know, such a strain on the Ghost Zone will tear the veil separating this world from the human one. It won't be anything like the time Pariah Dark absorbed Amity Park into the Ghost realm. The scale is _much_ larger and much more permanent, encompassing all of humanity and the ghosts alike."

His expression quirked with interest, but remained silent, waiting.

"As I'm sure you also know, this world and the Ghost Zone are mirrors to each other. One cannot exist without the other. I come to you curious about how well one can exist _within _the other."

"Hmm." he hummed, stroking his oval face with starry claws. "Testing the limits as always, Plasmius? At least you are thinking this plan out throughly and seeking advice."

"Please Nocturne, don't insult me. When do I not think things out throughly?"

"Typically in any area concerning the Ghost boy, I'd say." He flashed me a wicked grin.

I glared, suddenly unamused with his entire presence.

"I'm not here to discuss Daniel. All I want is your information. I know you have the answers I want. Merging realities is a concept as abstract and dangerous as dreams."

"Indeed. And what do you intend to give me in exchange?"

"New territory. More dreams for you to leech."

"Leech, hm? At least the Ghost child wasn't so unsavory in his admonishment of my dream energy absorption. How big is this territory you speak of? Another little island?"

There was an irritable tick that bothered me whenever he mentioned my little badger. I didn't like him talking about Daniel.

"No. In exchange for your cooperation, I will relinquish the entire South American continent to you. And I don't mean ownership as a placeholder like in Australia, or like the other ghosts assisting in my takeover. When the human world is completely subsumed within this realm, what was once South America will be completely yours. You can peel the continent away and drag it back to your lair for all I care. That's nearly four hundred million dreams to harvest."

"You jest."

"I do not jest. And let me be forthright, Nocturne. I'm well aware that four hundred million dreams can equate to a lot of personal power, and yet my offer remains. If I ever catch so much as a whisper of a challenge from you, I'll make sure you regret _dreaming _ofthe possibility that you could take what is mine. You're not the only one with a personal army, and what's more, I have the one being who bested you at the height of your power under my control. Do not underestimate me."

Nocturne regarded me with an impressed glare, silently muling over my words. Taking advantage of his doused ego, I made my demands.

"I exchange for your cooperation, I want access to _all _of your information, and and in the future. I know you were one of the first ghosts to manifest in this world, and I know how closely you worked with the Observants before they decided to create their own self-worshipping society. You know more than you let on, and I want unrestricted access to that knowledge."

He remained quiet. Crimson eyes mirrored my steady gaze, seeming to size up my resolve. Our tense stare off was nothing more than ego clashing, and I waited impatiently for him to cease the ridiculous charade. We both knew he'd accept my proposal. It was too tempting for a ghost to resist.

"Out of whimsical curiosity, what did you do to the Observants? Surely they won't let you go through with such an...ambitious plan." He asked, stalling.

"Of course they wouldn't, but the Observants and I have been at odds for years. You know as well as I do they are nothing more than pomp and vanity, completely ineffectual and useless. A lot like the human world's United Nations, in fact, and like the U.N., they no longer exist. It took nothing more than a small siege to remove their annoying interference."

"Yes, they always did think much too highly of themselves, and all because of their connection with the Ancients. Speaking of their mysterious patrons, did you consider _their_ opinion when destroying their lackeys?"

Nocturne took on a dangerous tone, subtle, but clearly present.

"The Ancients haven't been seen in eons." I replied coldly. "And if they took issue with what I was doing, they would have stopped me long ago, assuming they even exist. The fact that word of the Ancients only exists in ghost legend, coincidentally originating from the Observants themselves, leads me to believe that they are about as real as God."

"I see. Then perhaps the true test to their existence will be in the moment you activate those ghost portals, now won't it?" Nocturne cast me an unreadable smirk, trying to shake my resolve with fright. I scoffed at the attempt.

"Perhaps. But I don't deal in myths or ghost tales. I have a more established reality that I play in."

"And if you are wrong? If the Ancients kill you in punishment and all of your 'established reality' is rendered obsolete?"

"Then I'll come back as a ghost and wreck enough havoc to rival Pariah Dark." I glared, quickly tiring of the conversation that could go nowhere. His smirk was grating on my last nerve. "Nocturne, do you accept my exchange or not?"

He gave an oily smile.

"Of course I accept. What would you like to know, my insatiably curious halfa?"

When finally I returned home, satisfied but still a touch irritable, the first thing I wanted to do was check up on Daniel. Sadly, this desire had to be placed on hold. Skulker was awaiting my return, leaning against a spotless counter and sharpening one of his hunting blades needlessly. After dealing with the arrogance of a stuffed up fantasist like Nocturne, I can't say his presence was very welcome.

"Skulker." I greeted stiffly, stepping into the familiar setting of my lab.

"Plasmius." He grinned, retracting his blade with a sharp hiss. "I was wondering when you'd finally get back."

"Mm. I'm assuming you have something to report?"

"You're not going to like it." he was still grinning. Evidently he figured his news was worthy of a new toy. This did not bode well. I frowned, waiting.

"There's whispers in the ghost zone of a rising resistance. Despite his unpopularity, Danny Phantom used to have a few allies himself, and they're not happy with your new regime."

"You don't say?" I commented dryly, not nearly as impressed with this information as he seemed to be. I hardly saw a resistance of ghosts like Klemper as a problem.

"That's not the interesting part. Word is the humans are behind it. The whelp's little helpers are using Wulf to traverse the ghost zone, recruiting an army to bring you down."

_That _was much more concerning. I remained quiet, taking a moment to process this invaluable bit of information. It wasn't a surprise that those brats had survived my take over, as I have no doubt the rest of his family did too. But joining and accepting the help of _ghosts? _...Maddie and Jack must want their son back very badly.

"How many have pledged their allegiance against me?"

"As far as I know, not a lot. Most don't want to get on your bad side, especially not for Phantom. But the few allies he does have could be formidable. Princess Dora and the Far Frozen have already agreed to help, and I hear Pandora is considering it too. With her help, that could be enough to lay siege to a small base like this."

"Or create a sizable distraction." I murmured to myself, eyes narrowing. I couldn't sit back and wait for the Fenton's anymore, not with such a substantial offensive mounting. It was imperative that Daniel remain unaware of any attempt to rescue him.

Skulker watched with badly concealed glee as I punched in the password to the weapon's vault, practically dancing on his toes when I pulled out a rather large gun and an upgrade chip.

"Do me a favor and try to change the mind's of Dora and the Far Frozen. I think that'll solve Pandora's indecision, as well."

"My pleasure." he grinned, immediately inserting the upgrade chip and charging up the new gun.

"Find the Fright Knight and have him help. I want those kingdoms leveled. Report back here as soon as you're done." I ordered coolly, dismissing him with a toss of the head.

Skulker was gone with a slightly mad laughter in his wake. I glared at the portal from which he left, the swirling green churning with the glow of a radioactive chemical. No doubt the efforts of my top trigger-happy minions would be missed on the stubbornness of Daniel's friends and family, but the ghosts will get the message. The Fenton's have no idea what game they're playing, as if morals or friendship alone will sway the minds of ghosts. Idiots.

With a quiet scoff I turned away from the portal, moving to a smaller cabinet and opening my stock of spy-bugs. It was going to require some very delicate maneuvering to make this play out how I wanted. The simplest way to find the base of the human resistance in Amity Park would be to chase them out, letting my horde of ghouls overrun the city until not a single crumbling building remained. But that would be a tad too obvious. I wanted the Fenton's to continue operating under the impression that they were hidden from me. Leaving them unharmed and just attacking the ghosts they've managed to scramble will give way to the idea that I only have eyes in the ghost zone, lulling them into a false sense of security while simultaneously limiting their options to whatever they have at their disposal in Amity Park. The last thing I wanted was for them to lay siege to the mansion. I could easily defeat them, of course, but that's not the issue. The problem would be hiding an entire battle from Daniel when it's happening in the front yard. If the boy witnessed an entire army fighting against me, it would undermine all of my hard work. He'd never give up his silly ideas of heroes and happy endings.

No, I needed to keep the Fenton's resistance small and focused. Without the help of an army, they can't make a frontal attack. There aren't enough humans willing or stupid enough to try storming my mansion, so that means the only way in is guerrilla warfare. I can so easily imagine the Fenton's believing themselves bold enough to infiltrate my defenses right where I'd least expect it, my own portal. After all, the over-the-top perimeter surrounding my mansion, the erected wall, and the leveled city all suggest that I'm expecting and prepared for a frontal attack. I'd _never_ expect them to try sneaking in from the ghost zone, especially not after demonstrating how pervasive my influence is in that world by destroying their pathetically scrambled allies. I imagine they'd think themselves _daring_, maybe even courageous, rationalizing their stupidity by lowering their goals from over-throwing me to just getting Daniel back.

A very dark, very black look settled heavily on my face. I could feel it seep into the tiniest lines of my skin. They would pay dearly for their bleeding-hearts. Long have I been underestimated by those fools, and even now they think I've bitten off more than I can chew. One person can't rule the entire world, they whisper, a single human can't possibly hold on to that much power. But they forget that I am not a human, and it is to their own destruction that they do.

I quickly set to work fortifying my physical defenses, ordering more ghouls to stand guard around the perimeter of the mansion and to throw up another fence for good measure. The resistance would hear of the fall of their allies and then they'd see more monsters in the streets, completely eliminating any hope for a frontal attack. They'd be pushed back, cornered and forced to take desperate action that I was all too ready for. Three more spy bugs were activated and sent out, concentrating on areas with the most human activity. It wasn't essential to know the exact moment the Fenton's intended on coming through my portal, but it would be convenient.

Either way, I was _more_ than ready for them.

Once all necessary precautions were taken, I let myself relax. My plans seemed foolproof, the only real variable being the boy that all this planning was being done for. Speaking of, it was high time I checked up on Daniel.

Cooling my head and returning to my human form, I exited through the secret entrance and came out in my study. The halls were very quiet, nothing seeming to be amiss. I made my way to the gym and upon opening the door, realized that perhaps I should have made Daniel my top priority. After all, when do I not?

The boy wasn't in the training room.

After entering the vacant track, I looked down at my watch, taking note of the hour. It wasn't time for dinner, but perhaps the boy had been feeling peckish? Where else could he have gone, really? A stir of displeasure returned my disposition to its blackened state as I spun on the spot and went to find my missing charge. He should know better than to wander off like this.

An instinctual twinge of suspicion nagged at the back of my mind, though the boy hardly has any avenues left to conspire against me. I couldn't find any justification for the uneasy feeling other than our history of antagonism. I suppose that could still serve as a viable reason for not trusting Daniel, but I like to think such a sordid past no longer holds relevance for us. But then, Daniel _does_ have a dark side that holds grudges as badly as I do, and a natural resourcefulness that's infuriated and impressed me since the day we met.

My frown deepened, the nagging twinge taking root. I should know not to underestimate my little badger by now.

Nothing could be heard from the dining room as I approached, though the doors were wide open. My steps became purposeful in their pace, smacking against the carpet in a way that betrayed my darkening mood. Perhaps I've been giving the boy _too_ much freedom. If he wasn't in the dining room, there are only a handful of places he has any business being in, and I hardly think I'm about to find him in any of them unless forced.

I turned the corner to the dining room, practically storming in and finding an empty room. But just as my anger was transitioning into fury, Daniel walked out of the swinging kitchen doors on the other end of the room, a half-eaten protein bar in his hand and a lingering laugh with the kitchen staff dying on his lips.

Our eyes locked immediately and he froze, food midway to mouth, a petrifying fear stoping him in his tracks. I stopped too, staring with a cold, calculative look I couldn't help. He still had his work-out clothes on. They were damp with sweat, even. Not a sound could be heard from the kitchens either, other than the usual bustle of dinner preparations. It took me a solid moment to realize there was nothing overtly suspicious going on, even if he _was_ giving me a classic caught-red-handed look. He was only taking a snack break and perhaps exchanging pleasantries with the staff.

"Daniel?" I asked slowly, raising an eyebrow and feeling my shoulders relax slightly, the rage start to ebb away.

"I-I was just grabbing an energy bar." He forced out, the petrified look melting away in time with my rage. His brows furrowed indignantly. "Am I not allowed to take a break and grab a quick snack without you watching my every move?"

I glared dully, but the boy had a point.

"Who were you talking to in there?" I pressed.

For a second I thought a stricken look flashed across his eyes, but it was gone so fast I might have imagined it. Daniel continued to glower at me in a way that almost wilted my suspicions completely. Impressive.

"What, I can't laugh either now? I was just talking to the cook, looking for something quick to eat. I don't know if you're aware of this, but your kitchen is the size of a small library."

He held strong to this response, no more flashes of hesitation marring his conviction. It seemed...I was guilty of jumping to paranoid conclusions, which was a pleasant surprise.

"You can hardly blame me." I replied shortly, motioning him to come closer.

Daniel rolled his eyes, taking a great bite out of his protein bar and responding with something unintelligible and undoubtedly sarcastic. I smacked him lightly in the back of the head, a grudging smirk worming its way onto my face. What could have been an explosive fight was carried off by the pleasing idea of real trust potentially budding between us, something I'd coveted for a long time. This turned my smirk into an easy smile as I rested a hand on his shoulder, watching him finish his food with a sour pout still darkening his visage.

"Oh come now, little badger, would it help if I apologized?"

"You? Apologize?" He looked at me like I'd just told him I wanted to dye my hair pink. I think I was mildly offended. Well, maybe only slightly.

"I _am_ capable of such things, you know." I drawled, looking down at him with a sideways glance. "But only to the select few who deserve it."

"Oh yeah?" he snorted, casting me a smirk that was a combination of mean, taunting, and a touch arrogant. It looked quite good on him. "By 'select few' do you actually mean people other than me?"

"My, my, aren't we the egotistical one today."

"No, I just happen to be the one you unfortunately spend ninety-eight percent of your time stalking, so all the evidence suggests 'select few' means no one." he snapped dismissively.

"If you're insinuating that this is somehow a bad thing, I'm not sure I understand. As you well know, the people you depend on only ever stab you in the back and abandon you." I responded in what some might say was an inappropriately light voice, pointedly patting his shoulder. Daniel didn't miss the jab laced between my words.

"My friends and family have never stabbed me in the back and they haven't abandoned me."

Daniel's strong reply held a barely detectable amount of doubt, which surprised me. I was sure I'd done a better job eradicating that ridiculous hope he kept clinging to.

"But you know they will, little badger." I replied ominously, my tone darkening. "I don't think I have to remind you of why."

I watched as his once fortified frown slowly deepened with thoughts that brought on the thick slough of misery, like a fabric absorbing too much water. He silently spiraled downward and transformed into something small and weary with pain, attempting to hold the thin shell of bravado, but suffocated by the burden of internalized depression. I knew Daniel's friends weren't they types of characters to cast him away like most, and deep down, Daniel probably knew it too. But I don't think he could see that far down anymore, even if he _did _still believe in his loved ones. There are some stains that never go away, stains that make a person recoil from things like happier pasts and cleaner embraces.

"You don't know that." he replied a long time later, but his voice was as empty as the conviction behind the statement.

I squeezed his shoulder gently, the shadow of a pernicious smirk ghosting across my features. We returned to the training halls, where Daniel requested offensive training with his ghost powers before I could insist on it. I required that we train together this time, working on molding our fighting styles to work fluidly with one another and moving like one entity as opposed to two. Daniel wasn't very keen on this particular regiment. He never has been. But the more I force him into it, the more he flourishes. I push him to use his agility and strength to its greatest capacity when he works with me, serving as a direct tutor in the field of action. Simultaneously, Daniel becomes more accustomed to my fighting style, having a firsthand model to refine his own growing technique after.

It is intensely satisfying to watch him imitate my brand of action, particularly when he trains on his own. It will be no mystery to any future observer that Daniel is my protégé.

"So what are you putting us up against?" He grumbled, still not happy with the training arrangements.

I transformed into my ghost half before answering, watching him do the same once I deactivated the suppression over his powers. He breathed deeply, feeling the cool rush of energy flow through his arms. A detached quality akin to calmness washed over his features, seeming to muffle the bitter pain that had so throughly burdened his human heart.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to fight, Daniel?"

"Besides you? Not really." He replied, casting me a smirk with returning cheek.

"Hm. There's actually a bit of a nostalgic allure to challenging you in a ghost fight, but we'll have to save such excitement for another day."

He shrugged carelessly, looking around the empty obstacle room that had yet to be set up for our use. I turned to address the training system directly, speaking in a loud, clear voice that echoed off the plated walls.

"Initiate offensive training regiment in fifteen seconds. Engage bio-nanobots at one to one ratio."

The walls hummed as my order was processed, the default setting of firearms activating along the walls and pointing their barrels at us. As this was happening, the stench of something rotting began to drift under our nostrils. Small pools of tar-like sludge began to spread from the distribution tubes set along the floors, bubbling and frothing as the nanobots within them became energized. Daniel was bouncing on the balls of his feet and flexing his fingers as he waited, preparing his body for the intensive exercise ahead as the count down drew nearer.

"Do you remember the maneuver we worked on last?" I asked him, slowly moving until we stood back to back in the center of the room. Ten seconds remained and the ghastly pools were starting to become more frenzied.

"That flippy sling-shot one with the clones? Yeah, I remember."

"I want to put that into practice today. It still lacks finesse."

"Fine, but you better catch me."

"I always do."

I looked back at him with a smirk and was pleased to see him meet my glance, a challenging glint in his eye that dared me to let him down. Daniel was ready for this fight, perhaps even excited. I couldn't help but grin as the countdown reached zero and the mutant creations got to their feet. Then the fireworks started.

Daniel and I dived in opposite directions as a barrage of firepower rained down, each of us going head first into a group of oozing, dripping monstrosities. I had seconds to reflect on how much I detested that aspect of my mindless creations before two attacked and I was in the fray.

They were comparatively slow against my speed and their numbers were hardly anything to balk at, but as I also had a multitude of guns firing at my head and a zealous teenager to contend with, my focus was well occupied. Through the shooting and roaring sounds of our adversaries, I could hear Daniel mowing down his own opposition. Snappy glances picked up his lithe form weaving in and out of the attacking mutants, lopping off legs, arms, and heads with twin blades formed of ecto-energy.

Confident that the boy was doing just fine on his own, I turned my own attentions back to the never-ending pools, swinging a super-powered punch and sending three of them into the wall. Already the number of ecto-mutants was pathetically low, the initial buildup of creatures having been nearly wasted by mine and Daniel's combined efforts. Slowly, we made our way back to each other, taking on each creature one by one as they formed and charged.

Consequentially, The guns began to hinder our progression even more now that the amount of ecto-energy to focus on was significantly diminished. At the default setting, all firearms are set to attack any moving ectoplasmic entity, unable to differentiate between hybrids, ghosts or anything in between. However, as the signatures Daniel and I emitted were naturally stronger than that of my synthetic creations, we were now the primary targets.

Speaking of my little badger, a small weight suddenly fell against my back, letting out a muffled grunt and shooting two adversaries away with a particularly powerful blast. Sharp ears caught the building whine of twin guns, and I yanked Daniel out of the way before we both sustained injury. He stumbled again, falling against my chest and shooting at the walled weapons in frustration.

"You know that won't work, little badger." I chided, the smoke from the blast clearing away to reveal only small scorch marks on the reinforced guns.

"I know, but it makes me feel better." he muttered, ducking with me as another shot flew over our heads.

"Breathe, Daniel. You're doing very well." I grasped his shoulders for only a second before I had to let go and defend myself against a charging mutant.

If Daniel replied, I didn't hear it. He was dealing with his own monster, cleverly using the creature as a shield against the guns until it finally collapsed. Now exposed, he quickly raised a shield to block the shots, stretching it high enough to cover my back as well. I quickly eliminated my own adversary and raised a shield to match his own, covering us both in a pink and green dome.

"Shall I increase the count of the guns or the mutants?"

"Increase the mutants and get rid of the damn guns!" he yelled, visibly irritated with the barrage from the weapons.

"As you wish." I smiled, raising my voice to address the training system once more. "Deactivate offensive training regiment. Increase bio-nanobots ratio four to one."

Daniel dropped the shield as soon as the guns stopped firing, releasing a long sigh of relief and putting a hand on his hip.

"Thank god." he muttered, stretching. "Those things are annoying as hell."

"Having trouble keeping up, little badger?" I teased. He sent me a dour glare.

It wasn't long before the increased rate of ecto-mutants made itself apparent. Daniel and I had little more time for banter before we were back to back once more and defending each other from the ceaseless onslaught of battle. It was clear why Daniel favored the hand to hand combat over simple dodging and evading. Hand to hand was much more engaging, having so many more opportunities to exercise different attacks and maneuvers. I couldn't deny that I favored it myself, especially when the boy was under my arms.

With me, Daniel became a precise bullet. His lithe form used mine as a grounding point to propel and power his attacks. We were in constant motion, twisting and vaulting around each other to cover all angles of the fight. Daniel became my weapon, and I became his shield. It was a hypnotic and unforgiving dance, all the more captivating as I watched my little badger grow more deadly with each attack. I anticipated the day his physical form would be developed enough to handle channeling combined ectoplasmic energies. But for that kind of technique, Daniel's psyche will also have to be more receptive to my own, trust being a key component.

Though perhaps, the wait would not be as long as I once thought.

A guttural growl came from my left. I shot an ecto blast in the direction of the sound without breaking my concentration on the two in front of me, distantly hearing a thud that confirmed my hit. Daniel released three consecutive blasts, the heat of his attacks warming the back of my neck.

"We need to decentralize the fight!" I yelled over the sounds of howls and explosions. "Be ready!"

As soon as I had an open window I spun around and locked my fingers together, lowering my stance to accommodate my bullet. Daniel quickly placed a foot on my created niche and charged his hands, vaulting into the air with my propelled strength and flipping like a saw blade as ectoshots flew in all directions. From behind my raised shield, I watched him land gracefully on the other side of the room and absorb into the fray, nodding at his excellent execution.

I almost lost sight of him as the number of mutants increased, dripping maws flecking my battered tunic with slime and rotted face after rotted face attempting to tear at my skin. None of them got close, of course, and as I shot one attack after the other I couldn't help but grow a touch bored. A glance at Daniel told me he was doing fairly well on his own too, meaning we could move one.

Still fighting off the horde with one hand, I accumulated a hefty amount of ecto-energy in the other. I waited until it had grown to the size of a beach ball before using both hands to blast it towards the dancing figure of my apprentice. The attack mowed down the wall of mutants dividing us, and that was all he needed, immediately understanding what I wanted him to do. As soon as a path was clear, Daniel ran towards me, a blazing look in his eyes. I held out my arm for him as he approached, simultaneously teleporting a clone to a location well above our grounded stance. Daniel had only his momentum to focus on, however, and could do little more than trust in my aim as I grabbed his outstretched arm.

The monsters were no match for his swiftness. The moment I felt his hand grasp my forearm I carried his velocity into a powerful spin, adding more speed as he knocked out a number of converging adversaries. Daniel was little more than a black and white blur when I volleyed him straight into the air, aiming for the waiting clone high above. I watched as he gathered more energy in his speeding form, more than he ever had before, absentmindedly encompassing myself in an energy shield as I focused all my attention on the boy. The slamming bodies of enraged mutants hardly registered.

Daniel transformed from a black and white bullet to a neon green comet as my poised clone caught his arm just as I had done, spinning him around and adding even more speed before launching him at the largest thicket of monsters below. Incidentally, this happened to be exactly where I was standing.

I teleported away just in time, appearing beside my clone and absorbing him back into my body as Daniel slammed into the ground with the force of anvil, making the room quake. The majority of the monsters crumbled under the wave of energy he released upon impact, leaving him in a large circle devoid of dripping, oozing monstrosities. The attack was executed almost perfectly. Daniel made just one mistake.

I heard his short scream of pain as the unleashed wave rippled away. The majority of monsters were decimated, but a few where struggling to their feet. Daniel, however, was still in the middle of the circle, clutching his ankle in a way that could only mean it was broken.

Disappointment flooded my mounted excitement, leaving me feeling as though I'd had a treat stolen away at the last second. I waited for him to get up, but Daniel remained down as every attempt to move resulted in a yelp of pain. With a sigh I lowered down to his level, blasting back a few mutants that had managed to stand again.

"Shut down all training regiments." I called out in a less than enthusiastic voice.

The pools drained and the remains of all the beaten creatures broke down like rapidly decomposing bodies, returning to their sludge-like state and draining away with the rest. Daniel was curled over his injured leg, gritting his teeth so hard his jawline had paled. I crouched down to inspect the ankle, concern knitting my brows together. He usually disregards even the most grievous injuries.

"Can you stand?"

"If I could, do you think I'd still be sitting here?" He forced out through his teeth.

I peeled back his shaking fingers to better look at the injury, eyebrows raising when I saw blood stains and a torn hole in his suit.

"Good lord, I do believe your fibula broke through the skin."

"Yeah, I know, so you wanna help me or you wanna stand there like an idiot pointing out the obvious!" He snapped, breathing heavily and moaning in pain.

"There's no need to get touchy, little badger. You know we can set this break and have you completely healed before dinner."

"That doesn't help me right now, fruitloop!"

Sighing complacently, I scooped the boy up from the floor without another word. When Daniel gets like this there's really no talking to him. His fingers dug into my shoulder with a vice-like grip, for once not complaining about the bridal style hold I carried him in. We left the combat room and exited the training halls altogether, neither of us dropping our ghost forms. I took him down below the earth, into the cold air of my underground lab. Daniel winced only once when I set him on a gleaming counter, watching with a wary eye as I pulled out a roll of strangely glowing bandages, an equally glowing ankle brace, and two bottles full of a mysterious substance. One of which was also glowing.

"What's that?" he asked immediately, pointing to the bottles and accompanying syringes.

"A spectral fortifier to aid the healing process and Novocain. Unless you'd rather me set the bone without anesthesia."

He shook his head quickly, losing the wary look in his eye. I rolled out the glowing bandages and filled each shot with the appropriate amount of medicine, distantly noting that my classical music was still playing in the background. I must have forgotten to turn it off. Daniel shifted on the table, easing his injured leg straight without letting a wince loose. He didn't ask about the glowing bandages or ankle brace, evidently not bothering to be concerned. They were only medical wrappings soaked in filtered ectoplasm, all designed to better hasten a full recovery.

"Why are you giving me anesthesia now? You didn't bother when you put this thing in my neck?" he asked, the ever-present bitterness detectable in his voice.

"Implanting that device took nothing more than a small incision. Re-setting a cleanly broken ankle is something else entirely, oftentimes more painful than the actual break itself. I'm not completely sadistic, little badger."

"I beg to differ." he muttered, watching with a note of anxiety as I snapped on latex gloves and gently rested my hands on his injury.

As carefully as I could, I felt around for the bone. Daniel remain admirably strong, bearing back any sound of pain with a set jaw and clenched hands. I couldn't help feeling a little sympathy for him, even if he did botch the attack in the training room. His only mistake was building up more energy than his body was ready to handle, and how could I fault him for that?

"You did very well today, Daniel. Once we get you patched up you'll need to rest until dinner."

"I broke my ankle. How does that constitute 'doing well'?" he grumbled, evidently as disappointed with the day's failure as I was, which was a gratifying turn of events. Such excellent motivation the boy is developing.

"The only mistake you made was channeling more energy than you are currently ready to handle. In other words," I looked up and smiled. "You were too powerful for your own body."

His scowl barely budged, not the slightest bit impressed with himself. The pain in his ankle was too great to see the accomplishment behind it, I suppose. Anxiety soon eclipsed his grim frown when I picked up the anesthesia.

"...Is this gonna hurt a lot?" he asked quietly, like he was ashamed to ask.

"No." I assured him. "There might be a little pain, but the most you will feel is some pressure and a slight crunching sensation. I'm going to administer a hematoma block, which means injecting the Novocain directly into the spot there the bones have fractured and bathing them with anesthesia. In conjunction with your ghost form naturally muting pain receptors, it might even be painless."

"...guess we'll see." He said, though looking comforted. His breath hitched when I injected the anesthesia. I waited for the medicine to set in before administering the spectral fortifier as well. From the corner of my eye, I caught my patient grip the edge of the counter with one hand.

"Close your eyes, Daniel. It'll be over in a second."

Sighing, he eased himself back until he was laying on the counter and pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes.

"Just get it over with." he said tiredly, resigning himself to whatever pain would come.

It was all over in less than a minute. I positioned my hands on the injury, feeling the unsecured bone under my fingertips. Daniel didn't move as I applied pressure, gripping the top of his leg and forcing the fibula back in place with a nasty crunch. The boy jumped slightly, but I think it was more from the disturbing sound than anything else. Silently, I made sure everything was back in order before securing the brace and wrapping it tightly with the glowing bandages. The end result was not as rigid as a cast, but secure enough to ensure a full recovery in a matter of hours provided he stayed in his ghost form.

"There." I concluded, dropping the medical supplies in a drawer with an air of finality. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

Daniel peeked out from under his eyes and sat up, inspecting his bandaged leg with detached curiosity.

"No," he finally replied, wiggling his toes. "I hardly felt a thing."

"You will remain in your ghost form until the wound fully heals, which shouldn't be too long. Don't walk on it and don't manifest a spectral tail when flying. I don't want to risk the bones re-breaking."

"I get to stay in ghost form?" his eyes lit up, a smile bursting on his features.

"Only so the injury heals quickly." I repeated sternly. "Don't get any funny ideas."

"Wouldn't dream of it. You can't take a joke anyway, V-man." Daniel grinned and immediately levitated off the counter, floating in the air like a feather riding on drafts. He was probably on the verge of looping around the laboratory before I grabbed his wrist and yanked him down to reality.

"Don't forget, you need _rest_. You can hover to move around but don't start racing all over the mansion. I want you in my sight so I can make sure your butt remains firmly in a seat while the fortifiers in your ankle do their job."

The light in his face deflated like a punctured balloon.

"So no flying?"

"No flying."

"Man, Vlad, you taking the fun out of everything. Even being half ghost." he grumbled, floating after me as I led the way out of the lab.

"Don't get pouty with me." I chided, closing the door to the lab and heading upstairs. "I'm only looking out for your best interests."

"Of course you are." he replied sarcastically, unable to resist letting his body float after me like loose water in a space craft.

We came upon the study door and Daniel couldn't quite keep the groan of boredom out of his voice. Dutifully, he floated in after me and lowered down to his usual spot on the couch, glancing at the pile of homework already waiting for him and dragging a hands down his face.

"I break my ankle only to land myself in an early homework session. I'd much rather get back to training. Can't I, like, hover in one spot and just work on my aim or something?"

"No. You need to rest. This is an excellent opportunity to get some work done and you're not about to squander it."

"Practicing my aim wouldn't be squandering my time! It's what I'm _supposed _to be doing anyways."

I turned a stern glare on him, silencing his petulance and the budding argument in one move.

"You are _supposed _to do whatever I tell you, and I'm telling you to shut-up and do your homework. End of discussion, Daniel."

Shooting me a look of deepest loathing, he turned to the little table before the couch and grabbed a textbook. I could hear him grumbling under his breath and rolled my eyes, taking a seat and pulling out a packet of papers that consisted of reports, blueprints, and desperate requests from various locations around the world. We both worked in silence for nearly an hour, the homework and paperwork piles gradually decreasing as the grandfather clock ticked on.

Enough time passed that Daniel's anesthesia had surely worn off, but he refused to make even the slightest sound of discomfort. I waited for his pride to cave, knowing it was a futile effort. The boy is as guilty as I am concerning that particular sin.

Charts, files full of fine details, and email updates from points of interest swam in my vision, bringing on an ugly headache. Everyone in the world wanted to know when I would devise a more stable infrastructure, conveniently forgetting that such practical details were a tad difficult when they persisted in removing or usurping me from my throne. Imbeciles. The sooner I hang the ghost zone above their heads the better. I withstood as much of this headache as I could before looking at the clock. Upon realizing there was still forty five minutes until dinner, it seemed appropriate to take a break. Daniel glanced briefly at me as I stood and made my way to the small bar set against the wall, pouring myself a glass of sixty year old bourbon to sooth my headache. It took only a moment of watching Daniel shift uncomfortably in his seat before a smirk quirked my lips and I poured a second glass, on the rocks.

"Here." I startled him, holding out a glass of bourbon worth more than what most people make in a year.

He stared at it in slight surprise, then frowned, saying exactly what I expected.

"Vlad, I'm _fifteen_."

"Yes," I leaned against the couch, a mocking sort of smile on my face. "But as the anesthesia has undoubtedly worn off by now, you're also in pain. In more ways than one, for that matter. Take it Daniel. Odds are you won't even like it, but that's not really the point, now is it?"

"Oh?" he raised an eye brow, but took the drink. "And what is the point?"

"Just drink it, Daniel. If its too much for you, I'll take it back."

Daniel scowled and immediately took a generous sip, screwing his face up in disgust as it went down. I couldn't help but laugh.

"It tastes like paint thinner."

"Liquor is an acquired taste, little badger." I smirked, taking a sip of my own glass.

Daniel scowled and went back to ignoring me, but he kept the drink. I ruffled his hair, returning to my desk and watching as he took another tentative sip. His nose wrinkled again and he placed the glass on the end-table. And yet, over the next forty-five minutes the oak-brown contents slowly decreased in volume. Coincidentally, the black look on his face faded in time with the dwindling contents. It probably wasn't the best idea to give the boy his first taste of alcohol on an aged liquor at well over 100 proof, but I'd been careful to give him just the right amount. He looked quite cozy cuddled up under a heavy blanket, reading Frederick Nietzsche's _Beyond Good and Evil_with a warm blush in his cheeks. Daniel looked the picture of calm, attentive to his work without melancholy thoughts poisoning his focus. There might even have been a miniscule smile on his lips, but I was too far away to really tell.

I let him work, not wanting to disturb such a comfortable state for both of us. It was easy to phone down to the kitchens and have dinner brought upstairs. The boy looked at me curiously as I spoke with the head cook, quirking an eyebrow until I placed the phone back on the receiver.

"There's no need to stress that ankle unnecessarily." I answered his unasked question. "I'm sure it's fine by now, but it's always good to take precautionary measures."

"Jeez, Vlad, I'm not made of glass you know." He snorted, shaking his head in an almost amused way, like he couldn't be bothered by my overprotectiveness anymore. Or at least, not right now.

We continued working quietly. I was trying to focus on my own work, but with my thoughts whirring as they were, it was nearly impossible. I was thinking about the boy. I'm always thinking about the boy. He had the most placid expression on his face, mirrored by the relaxed droop in his shoulders. There wasn't the slightest hint of tension in his dulled disposition. Only the occasional crinkle in the face, brought on by something particularly difficult in the reading, perturbed this collected air. It took but a moment of concentration, often with his lips slowly mouthing the quizzical sentence in question, before the crinkle was gone and the mild countenance returned.

This quiet shift in attitude made all the difference in the world. I knew, just as Daniel probably knew, that the great weight of misery was still there, swirling patiently beneath the amber barrier. But the muted pain, suppressed more successfully than perhaps even his ghost half could accomplish, was completely ignorable. Daniel could pretend it didn't exist, if only until the effects of the alcohol wore off. His pain became bearable for him, and I knew, after tonight, sharing an evening drink together would become sine qua non.

The boy drained his glass just as a polite knock came at the door. He immediately snapped his attention to the sound, glancing at me briefly and then back to the door. Not wanting to keep his empty stomach waiting any longer than it apparently could, I stood up to retrieve our dinner. Donovan was there, as usual, standing behind the food-laden cart with an appropriately aloof expression. I bid my personal servant entrance, directing him to the coffee table in front of my young protegee.

"You may break from your homework, Daniel." I called to him, returning to my desk to clear away the finished paperwork. "I trust you completed a good chunk of it?"

I closed a drawer in the desk before glancing up at the boy, observing the curiously chary glare he was giving my butler.

"Yeah, I got most of it done." Daniel replied slowly, looking away from Donovan with the air of discarding a piece of rubbish. Interesting.

"Most of it?"

"I didn't finish my history paper."

"Mm. Well we'll have time for that later, I suppose."

Daniel shifted on the couch as I sat beside him and motioned the placement of his ankle in my lap. He complied, gaze drifting back to the silent butler who was pouring his wine. The neon glow of the bandages had diminished, the ecto-purities having soaked into his skin. There was no question that the wound was healed and painless by now. I simply phased the wrappings away from his leg and dropped them to the floor, supporting the new ankle with a hand braced at his Achilles tendon.

"The Romanée Conti, please. And take care of these bandages."

Donovan nodded shortly, carefully pouring the vintage wine. Daniel said nothing as I stretched the fresh muscle in his ankle, massaging the joints until I was satisfied. The butler finished placing our meal and collecting the litter on the floor, giving my little badger a haughty glance I didn't miss. He backed away and stood straight, waiting until I dismissed him.

I followed his exit with narrowed eyes until the door clicked shut behind him, leaving us to our privacy.

"I tire of these human servants." I muttered. "The day we leave this hovel can't come soon enough."

"What do you mean?" Daniel's brow furrowed, slowly setting his fork down.

"Our castle by the Aegean Sea will be staffed entirely by ghosts, of course." I raised an eye brow at him. "You didn't really think I was going to have all of these humans come with us, did you?"

"I didn't think about it." He answered, though he looked troubled.

"The servants here are more trouble than they're worth." I continued, sipping at the fine Burgundy. "Ghosts don't have the tendency to get caught up in gossip or current events. They are much simpler, satisfied with a basic contract of shelter in exchange for labor."

"That's exactly what the servants here are doing." Daniel argued. "I don't exactly see you giving out paychecks every week."

"Don't tell me you want to add 'Union Representative' to your hero resume." I scoffed. "Evidently you miss the way they look and talk about you."

"I-what?"

"Surely you aren't _that _clueless." I teased, the corners of my mouth twisting into a leer. "Do you really think the people in his house don't have an opinion on the fall of their great hero? How Danny Phantom now screams and moans his enemy's name every night?

"Shut up!" He flared, immediately ignited. "I...I don't-!"

"Oh yes you do. Don't you dare lie to yourself, Daniel, especially not in front of me."

"You lie to yourself all the time, hypocrite."

They boy fell against the armrest of the couch at the force of my back-handed slap. Not twenty minutes ago I was enjoying an atmosphere of rare calm and entertaining the idea of such ambience continuing, but in the span of a single conversation Daniel just couldn't resist shattering any trace of frivolity. How typical.

"Are you really going to ruin another evening with a temper tantrum, Daniel?" I asked, my voice as cold as ice.

"No, just with reality." he spat back, rubbing his bruised cheek.

"...Reality, hm?" I muttered quietly, turning away from the insolent, ungrateful brat and taking a long, slow sip of the Romanée Conti.

Next thing I knew, the crystal glass was smashing over Daniel's head and he was flying across the room. I heard his body slam into the dense, oak paneling of the study with a heaving gasp, the air forced from his lungs. I couldn't say what exactly was coursing through my veins at this point. It was like fury, but beyond that. I was strangely calm. I just wanted to hurt the boy as much as humanly possible, the audacious, impertinent _wretch _who dared to deny me on the basis of his own construed fantasy. No matter what I tried he just wouldn't let it _go_.

He hissed in pain when I grabbed hold of his hair and forced him to look at me, feeling glass and blood between the slick tresses.

"How many times do I have to put you on your knees before it gets through your thick skull?" I seethed. "What do you think this is, Daniel? A _game? _Do you honestly think I've spent the past two decades manipulating my way to the top, committing unspeakable acts of murder, changing the very _fabric_ of human civilization for nothing more than a petty victory dance over a fifteen year old?"

"I thought you said you took over the world for me, you fruitloop!" he grunted, trying to peel my fingers away.

"Yes, Daniel, I did, but don't you even _pretend_ to understand what's really going on here! All of my plans, the ones that started before you were even a _thought_ in the mind of your worthless father, were about to become realized before you came along and screwed everything up! You changed _everything_ that day, but you're so consumed with living in a black and white world of heroes versus villains that you don't even have the humanity to see it!"

I was screaming at the boy, saying things that I couldn't quite keep under control. Daniel could hear the manic desperation in every word, he could see the burning resentment filling every contour of my glower. He seemed to be somewhere between horrified and speechless, frozen under the strength of my ire.

"Vlad..." He shook his head slowly, his voice cracking. "You...You need help, this isn't-"

I could have killed him. Daniel screamed when I lit him up like a lightbulb, electric currents racing through his bones until I deemed it time to stop. I had him by the neck before he could gasp for breath, blood vessels bursting and bruising under my grip.

"_That's _your response?" I hissed, both hands cutting off his windpipe. "You cast me away, mock me daily, and yet _I'm _the one who needs help? Make no mistake, dear boy, this has nothing to do with me. This is about _you_."

Daniel gasped for oxygen the moment I let go, dropping to the ground. I fell to one knee beside him, keeping his head pinned to the floor with a single hand.

"I spent years planning and brooding to win your mother, but in a matter of hours, you snatched all of that away. You stole twenty years worth of effort and spat it back into my face, but I wasn't about to make the same mistake twice and spend another twenty years longing for something that was now even farther from my grasp. You and I have always dealt in extremes, little badger, so perhaps there is something to your insults against my mental health. But don't think for a _second _that I'm alone in my insanity."

He yelled an unintelligible swear word, struggling twice as hard before finally forming a furious sentence.

"Don't compare your sick obsessions to what I do, Plasmius! Just because you can't see the value of human life doesn't mean it's not there! It's your own fault you're so bitter and miserable!"

"Then by that logic, it's your fault you're bitter and miserable as well!" I snarled. "Or is that suddenly not fair? Don't you see what you're doing? Not only do you continually turn a blind eye to what's going on around you for the sake of childish fantasies, but you construe cliched pretexts to validate your delusions! _In short, _I'm tired of being called crazy by a fifteen year old who thinks he's destined to save humanity and being termed _obsessed _by a boy whose entire self-worth is placed in his ability to save the world when there isn't even a world left to save!"

I sunk a fist deep into his stomach, listening to him struggle for breath as he clutched my arm.

"You're pathetic, Daniel." I sneered, standing up and letting him drop to the floor. "I don't know what it's going to take to make you accept reality, but if you don't do it soon the only place you'll have here is a quick _fuck _when I'm in the mood. Do I make myself clear?"

He didn't answer, visible fury, humiliation, and fear choking his words and turning his breath into shallow heaves. I saw him clench his fists, a sanctimonious fire poisoning his eyes as he restrained himself from attacking me. The little rat wasn't listening to a damn word I was saying. He had that _look _that promised every intention of thwarting me. Somehow, he'd gotten it in his head that he still stood a chance against me. Somehow, he'd gotten around me, and that more than anything made me see red. I was so quickly subsumed in irrepressible rage that it burned with tangible fire.

Daniel yelped when I yanked him up from the floor and dragged him across the room. He couldn't stop scared whines from slipping out when I bent him over my desk, pressing my hips against his wriggling backside suggestively and holding him down by the neck. He stopped struggling when I leaned over and hissed directly into his ear, making sure to press my lips against the skin.

"I _said_, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes." He forced out with a grunt, squeezing his eyes shut and jumping when I started grinding my hips against him.

"I said okay, Vlad! I get it!" His voice cracked.

But a vicious, uncontrollable urge to humiliate the brat was growing inside me, strangling my heart with vines of tar. He didn't understand anything. He was just saying what I wanted to hear. Daniel was _still _trying to go behind my back, still _lying _and trying to _trick _me! Just like that time in the Rockies so long ago, he was mercilessly playing with my heart because I couldn't break his idiotic fantasy that he was a hero and somehow everything would end up okay.

"Don't lie to me, you little brat! I can see right through you!"

Daniel stumbled when I threw him back, but didn't fall to the floor. He was shaking, and nothing but terror bedaubed his visage now. I grabbed his shoulder before he could run away, delivering a punch with enough force to send him to the floor. Swift kicks made contact with his hip, his chest, his face. Daniel rolled away from the impact of a particularly malicious punt, moaning and clutching his genitals in pain. I hoisted him up with a vice-like grip on his upper arm, forcing him against a wall. Daniel's spine went rigid when I knocked his cradling hands away and grabbed the bruised genitals myself.

"How many times do I have to say this before you wake up?" I spat, my face inches from his own and grip tightening. "_You are not a hero, Daniel! _You fell from that pedestal the moment I bent you over and you begged for more. Hero's don't have sex with their enemies, Daniel, and they certainly don't enjoy it."

"I don't enjoy it! I hate it!" he screamed wildly, struggled against my grip with a renewed vigor.

But he was _lying. _That much was clear in the way his chest heaved, the way his wild eyes betrayed him. Daniel was lying to himself, _denying _himself, all for some deluded notion of propriety. The only thing Daniel hated was himself, and deep down, he knew it. It was the most pathetic thing I'd ever seen. It almost made me pity him.

"No you don't." I leered, jerking him roughly to quell his struggles. "We both know that's a lie."

"No it's _not_!"

I realized then that I could prove it to him again and again, make him moan and sing a hundred times more, but he'd still keep up this ridiculous charade of denial. He was so saturated in his own lies that he couldn't move on and accept the truth, _wouldn't _move on, even with the device in his neck helping him along. Daniel would reject his own feelings until it drove him to insanity, and I couldn't let him do that. Blaming me was his solution for all of his problems, all of his shame. For his own sake, Daniel needed to understand that the root of his grief, of all his insecurities and disgrace, was no one but himself.

He cried out when I ripped his clothes off, dragging him to a large, antique mirror set into the wall. Daniel took one glance and immediately avoided looking at his naked reflection, instead busying himself with removing my grip on his arm.

"No," I growled, twisting him forward and using both hands to make him face the mirror. "You take a good look, Daniel. Look at what you've become."

"Stop it." He whispered, squeezing his eyes shut.

"It's time to stop living in a comic book, Daniel! _Look at yourself_!"

The tenor of my order rang around the room, deafening the turbulence of our struggle. The dead silence left behind waited for Daniel to come out of his hunched cower, his body gone still in resignation. The boy lowered his shoulders and slowly looked up at his reflection, meeting the dejected stare of a stranger who shared the same anguished, exposed disfigurements. I watched his eyes drift over his own body, to each scar, bruise, and salacious mark. A permanently dilapidated look clung to his harried frame. He looked beaten, weak, and not at all like the boy he once was, vacant eyes contoured by dark lines of exhaustion. He was very pale against the black of my suit, standing out like the ghost he had become. It was hard to tell what Daniel was thinking as he stared at his unconcealed reflection, forced to acknowledge the degeneracy of his own identity.

"I want you to come to terms with that boy in the mirror, Daniel." I said quietly, moving my hands to rest on his shoulders. "You can't keep blaming the rest of the world for what's become of you, and you can't keep blaming me. I can't help you heal until you acknowledge the root of all your misery."

He didn't say anything in response, taking a single shaky breath and waiting. I pet his hair gently, picking out the glass that had wormed its way too deep.

"I want you to stare at yourself and admit it out loud, Daniel. Say it. I hate myself."

He took a deeper, more unstable breath, his chest expanding and eyes transfixed on his naked reflection.

"...I hate myself." he whispered, breathing it out like he was afraid the words would strangle him.

"Say it again."

"I hate myself."

"Say it again, Daniel."

"I...I _hate_ myself."

He repeated it again and again, and every time something diseased yet deeply satisfying slithered down my spine. It was like an incessant itch finally scratched, but the more you satiated the urge the more it intensified. I felt my grip on his arms tighten as his whisper grew louder, his lungs beginning to respire deeply with the struggle to contain uneven sobs and continue the mantra. The agony in his voice was like a yawning laceration stretched open and raw, ripped a little wider each time he finished the sentence. I felt my own malignity spread, swallowing and suffocating every aspect of my being until I was entombed by its deprivation.

"Louder." I growled, my voice turned to gravel.

Daniel had tears streaming and dripping off his face. He felt every word that crossed his lips, each one charged with the torment being dealt to his heart. He was stripping himself layer by layer, until the gnawing hurt chewing at his sanity was exposed to the open air, made as naked and vulnerable as his physical body. There was something electrifying about it, something devastatingly beautiful, watching and listening as his exposed self-hatred rose to a scream that reverberated all around the room. Daniel became furious, screaming at himself and galvanizing the burning infection inside me. I let him get it all out, soaking up the wild, ungoverned fury he released and feeling it quench my own.

"_I hate myself! I hate myself! __**I hate **__**myself**__!"_

The boy let out an animalistic scream that finally broke his raging temper, legs collapsing to the floor. I sunk to the ground with him, feeling the frenzied strength of his ghost powers just barely restrained as the fire died down. He was still repeating it, his tone shattered as the broken rage gave way to a gaping well of misery he could no longer ignore. Daniel was left weeping, raw, and cut open, crying into his hands and whispering each word as though it were being carved into his skin.

"_I h-hate myself."_

_ "..._Daniel."

"_I-I h-hate myself."_

"Daniel, stop." I said quietly, surprised at how weak my own voice was. I felt exhausted.

The boy turned and immediately pressed himself against me, entrusting his frailty to my arms. I wasn't expecting his embrace, shock momentarily rendering me motionless. Yet, within seconds, I was clutching him back, savoring the pressure of his grip and acutely aware of how precious Daniel was to me. It suddenly occurred to me that the idea of someone taking him away was more terrifying than anything I've ever faced. I couldn't let him go. After two decades, I finally had what I needed, and I couldn't imagine going back to the miserable, isolated hell I'd lived before we met.

I needed Daniel to love me, or else I'd truly descend into madness.

* * *

I know, the ending paragraph is kinda sudden and crappy, and people wanted a sex scene, but I just couldn't force one in. Plus, I needed to update pronto. I think the first time we see a sex scene in Vlad's PoV will be at a very significant moment that I'm not going to spoil for you, so...sorry. Gotta wait a few more chapters.

Hope this chapter didn't suck. I'm sure the grammar was painful. Sorry about that. :|

Man I love you guys. Thanks for stick'in with me!


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